The spokesman for Guinea’s military junta said Captain Moussa Dadis Camara supports the United Nations’ ongoing investigation into the recent massacre of unarmed opposition protesters.
Harouna Kone said the investigation will exonerate the junta from allegedly ordering the shooting death of opposition protesters.
“Captain Dadis Camara is very happy because the UN investigation in Guinea will make people know the truth. So, the president is very happy for that,” he said.
At least 157 people were reportedly killed on September 28th when presidential guard troops allegedly opened fire on thousands of demonstrators protesting of a possible presidential candidacy by Captain Camara.
The interior ministry puts the number dead at 57.
Captain Camara has ordered an internal investigation into the massacre independent of the ongoing UN inquiry.
Abe Sylla, a leading member of Guinea’s opposition coalition, dismissed the internal investigation as a mere public relations exercise.
“The National investigation, all the investigators were mostly selected by the people who are accused of the crime. So, that is kind of fair to the other party to have an independent investigator…basically I don’t see how you can be a player and a judge at the same time,” Sylla said.
But Kone defended the internal investigation saying it will have similar findings to the UN inquiry.
“We have a commission in our country to do investigation, but we need the UN investigation because the president knows that we will have the same result. The same truth,” Kone said.
Many in the international community, including Washington, have asked Capitan Moussa and his junta to step down and allow a legitimate government to prepare Guinea for elections next year. The call has been echoed by the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and Guinea’s opposition coalition.
But Kone dismissed such calls as a ‘dream’ that will not be realized.
“He came as the head of this transition in order to give peace to Guinea people. It is a dream when people say that he (should) leave the power. We won’t accept that because we need him and maybe if they want we can do election and he will be elected because people need him,” Kone said.
