Guinea Government Commission Says no Proof of September 28 Killings

In Guinea, the government commission which has been investigating the killing of opposition protesters at a September 28 rally said its preliminary findings show no killings took place inside the stadium.

The commission also reportedly said it has no proof that women were raped inside the stadium.

Mamadou Dian Balde, editor of the Independent newspaper in Guinea’s capital, Conakry said Guineans do not trust the government commission.

“The women who were raped to the stadium and the parents of the people the military killed are not consulting this commission. People think that this commission is not independent. They think that the international commission will do the best investigation,” he said.

The government commission’s preliminary findings came as the soldier who shot military ruler Moussa Dadis Camara, Lieutenant Aboubacar Toumba Diakite, gave his first interview to Radio France International from his hiding place.

Balde said Toumba Diakite said he shot Captain Camara because the junta leader tried to blame him (Diakite) for the massacre of opposition protesters at a September 28 rally.

“According to Toumba Diakite, the president, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara was looking for him and he was trying to capture him by force, and that’s why he shot the president. He said that people think that he was the one who killed demonstrators on the 28 of September,” Balde said.

He said Toumba Diakite said he only went to the stadium to rescue opposition politicians who had been wounded.

“According to Radio France, some political leaders…confirmed that Toumba saved their lives at the stadium to carry them to the hospital when they were injured,” Balde said.

Balde said it was difficult to say whether Toumba Diakite was in Guinea or not because two weeks after he was accused of shooting military leader Dadis Camara the army has yet to locate him.

He said the army has arrested a number of soldiers who were with Toumba Diakite when he shot the military leader.

Balde said the arrests took place near the Guinea-Sierra Leone border where the army said the soldiers were trying to cross into Sierra Leone.