2009 Guinean protests

The 2009 Guinean protests were an opposition rally in Conakry, Guinea on Monday, 28 September 2009, with about 50,000 participants protesting against the junta government that came to power after the Guinean coup d'état of December 2008. The protest march was fueled by the indication of junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara breaking his pledge to not run in the next presidential vote due in January 2010.[1] The government had already banned any form of protests until 2 October. When the demonstrators gathered in a large stadium, the security forces opened fire at them. At least 157 demonstrators were killed,[2][3][4] 1,253 injured and 30, including Cellou Dalein Diallo, the leader of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UDFG), were arrested and taken away in lorries.[5][6]

On the same day in 2018, six human rights organizations demanded justice for perpetrators. The organizations were the Association of Victims, Parents and Friends of the 28 September Massacre (AVIPA), the Guinean Human Rights Organization (OGDH), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch.[7]

Sidya Touré, former Prime Minister and now an opposition leader, was also injured in the shootings and spoke to the BBC secretly from a hospital's restroom.[1] Opponents have accused the junta of limiting freedom of speech and violating human rights.[5] Camara said that the troops responsible for the shooting spree were out of his control.

On July 31, 2024, Moussa Dadis Camara was found guilty of “crimes against humanity” in the massacres that occurred in 2009, and was sentenced to twenty years in prison.[8]

  1. ^ a b "'Dozens killed' at Guinea protest". BBC News. 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 29 September 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  2. ^ "Guinea protest death toll soars". Al Jazeera. 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "France suspends military cooperation with Guinea". Agence France-Presse. 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  5. ^ a b "At Least 58 Killed in Guinea Opposition Protest". VOA News. 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  6. ^ "'Scores killed' at Guinea protest". Al Jazeera. 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  7. ^ Guinea: 9 Years Later, Bring Justice for September 28 Crimes
  8. ^ "Afrique Procès du massacre de 2009 en Guinée: Moussa Dadis Camara condamné à 20 ans de prison pour crimes contre l'humanité". Radio France International (in French). 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.