You can now follow Friends of Guinea via Twitter. Just go to twitter.com/friendsofguinea or if you're already on Twitter, just follow @friendsofguinea
In addition to linking to FOG blog entries on FOG, Peace Corps and Guinean news, I will also repost ("retweet" or RT) links to related stories from other news outlets. It's a good way to keep up to date, especially now as events seem to be unfolding quickly.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Monday, October 05, 2009
[Guinean news] General strikes in Siguiri, Kissidougou; Compaoré arrives in Conakry
Guinéenews reports that the Upper Guinea city of Siguiri and Forest region city of Kissidougou were both paralyzed by general strikes today.
Earlier Monday morning, protesters in Siguiri took to the streets demanding public lighting of their city. The protests prevented activities in the center of town. Protesters objected to the local authorities failure to keep its promise in the matter.
In Kissidougou, transport and commercial activities were halted when youth called for action to protest both the candidacy of the military leader Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara in January's presidential elections and the September 28 massacre. The protesters were dissuaded against actually taking to the streets, for fear of violence, however the population stayed home instead, shutting down the city.
Meanwhile, Burkina Faso's head of state Blaise Compaoré arrived in Conakry to begin ECOWAS sponsored mediation.
Earlier Monday morning, protesters in Siguiri took to the streets demanding public lighting of their city. The protests prevented activities in the center of town. Protesters objected to the local authorities failure to keep its promise in the matter.
In Kissidougou, transport and commercial activities were halted when youth called for action to protest both the candidacy of the military leader Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara in January's presidential elections and the September 28 massacre. The protesters were dissuaded against actually taking to the streets, for fear of violence, however the population stayed home instead, shutting down the city.
Meanwhile, Burkina Faso's head of state Blaise Compaoré arrived in Conakry to begin ECOWAS sponsored mediation.
[Guinean news] Update on the situation in Guinea
Events are moving so quickly in Guinea that it's hard to keep up, but below are links to various news articles about and international reaction to the evolving situation in the country following the September 28 massacre that is now believed to have killed 187 people.
-Foreign gunmen helped Guinea crackdown (Reuters)
-Scuffles break out at new Guinea anti-junta demo (AFP)
-Thousands identify Guinea bodies (BBC)
-International inquiry needed into violence by Guinea security forces(Amnesty International)
-Guinean junta leader calls for UN investigation (Radio Netherlands)
-UN Security Council condemns Guinea repression, deaths (DPA)
-CNDD junta condemns September 28 deaths (Guinéenews - in French)
-Guinea junta calls for national unity government (Reuters)
-Guinea opposition rejects unity government after bloodbath (DPA)
-Guinean refugees heading toward Mali (Maliweb - in French)
-Guinean soldiers accused of raping women with rifle butts (AP)
-Civil society reactions to junta leader’s declarations (MISNA)
-West African regional grouping names Burkina Faso leader as facilitator (AFP)
-[Video] Guinean soldiers firing on crowd (UK Guardian) (WARNING: contains graphic images)
-[Audio] Guinea violence (BBC World Service Analysis program)
-Guinea leader vows to hold election despite bloody protest (The Day)
-France's [foreign minister Bernard] Kouchner Urges International Intervention in Guinea (Bloomberg)
-Guinea people opposed to peacekeepers, claims junta chief (AFP)
-Guinea leader claims 'no responsibility' in bloodbath (AFP)
-Dadis admits, "To say that I control this army would be demagogy." (France 24)
-Foreign gunmen helped Guinea crackdown (Reuters)
-Scuffles break out at new Guinea anti-junta demo (AFP)
-Thousands identify Guinea bodies (BBC)
-International inquiry needed into violence by Guinea security forces(Amnesty International)
-Guinean junta leader calls for UN investigation (Radio Netherlands)
-UN Security Council condemns Guinea repression, deaths (DPA)
-CNDD junta condemns September 28 deaths (Guinéenews - in French)
-Guinea junta calls for national unity government (Reuters)
-Guinea opposition rejects unity government after bloodbath (DPA)
-Guinean refugees heading toward Mali (Maliweb - in French)
-Guinean soldiers accused of raping women with rifle butts (AP)
-Civil society reactions to junta leader’s declarations (MISNA)
-West African regional grouping names Burkina Faso leader as facilitator (AFP)
-[Video] Guinean soldiers firing on crowd (UK Guardian) (WARNING: contains graphic images)
-[Audio] Guinea violence (BBC World Service Analysis program)
-Guinea leader vows to hold election despite bloody protest (The Day)
-France's [foreign minister Bernard] Kouchner Urges International Intervention in Guinea (Bloomberg)
-Guinea people opposed to peacekeepers, claims junta chief (AFP)
-Guinea leader claims 'no responsibility' in bloodbath (AFP)
-Dadis admits, "To say that I control this army would be demagogy." (France 24)
Sunday, October 04, 2009
[RPCV news] Guinea Solidarité Facebook page and website
A Facebook page has been started to "in support of the Guinean people and of an end to military rule and dictatorship and a beginning of freedom and prosperity."
It noted: On September 28, 2009, the Guinean military brutally cracked down on the unarmed population protesting military rule and junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara's likely candidature for president. By many accounts at least 200 people were killed and women and girls viciously raped in the capital city of Conakry that day.
This group has been formed in response to these atrocities as a show of solidarity with people in Guinea and to serve as a forum for organizing in support of a transition to the democracy that has eluded Guinea for the past 51 years of independence.
The Facebook page can be accessed here.
They've also launched a web site, which can be found at: http://guineasolidarite.wordpress.com/
It noted: On September 28, 2009, the Guinean military brutally cracked down on the unarmed population protesting military rule and junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara's likely candidature for president. By many accounts at least 200 people were killed and women and girls viciously raped in the capital city of Conakry that day.
This group has been formed in response to these atrocities as a show of solidarity with people in Guinea and to serve as a forum for organizing in support of a transition to the democracy that has eluded Guinea for the past 51 years of independence.
The Facebook page can be accessed here.
They've also launched a web site, which can be found at: http://guineasolidarite.wordpress.com/
[Guinean news] Call for witnesses from Human Rights Watch
An FOG member reported:
I was in touch today with the West Africa senior researcher for Human Rights Watch who will be heading to Guinea in the next couple of days to begin her investigation into the atrocities of September 28 and the continuing violence and human rights abuses.
She is looking for help connecting with credible eye witnesses, survivors, and victims' families who are willing to be interviewed. I am sending some names her way, and if any of you have other people to connect her to, please email me at jbsfela@yahoo.com. Human Rights Watch will, of course, protect this information with the utmost care.
In addition, she shared with me the attached collection of HRW statements/press reports and press complications since the coup in December, which provides useful background and some eyewitness accounts already. In English and French.
Also, FYI - I was in touch today with the office of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (Brooklyn, 11th District), who is coming out strong against the use of violence against civilian protesters in Guinea. Her staffers are looking to set up a meeting with "concerned residents" to hear from people in the districts and learn our perspective on what has happened and what the US should do about it. She has also been in close touch with the State Department. Seems like a potentially helpful ally; we should know more early this week about the Brooklyn meeting and will keep you posted if you are in the area and would like to attend, and for the debrief which may yield more ideas of how best we can have a positive impact on the situation.
I was in touch today with the West Africa senior researcher for Human Rights Watch who will be heading to Guinea in the next couple of days to begin her investigation into the atrocities of September 28 and the continuing violence and human rights abuses.
She is looking for help connecting with credible eye witnesses, survivors, and victims' families who are willing to be interviewed. I am sending some names her way, and if any of you have other people to connect her to, please email me at jbsfela@yahoo.com. Human Rights Watch will, of course, protect this information with the utmost care.
In addition, she shared with me the attached collection of HRW statements/press reports and press complications since the coup in December, which provides useful background and some eyewitness accounts already. In English and French.
Also, FYI - I was in touch today with the office of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (Brooklyn, 11th District), who is coming out strong against the use of violence against civilian protesters in Guinea. Her staffers are looking to set up a meeting with "concerned residents" to hear from people in the districts and learn our perspective on what has happened and what the US should do about it. She has also been in close touch with the State Department. Seems like a potentially helpful ally; we should know more early this week about the Brooklyn meeting and will keep you posted if you are in the area and would like to attend, and for the debrief which may yield more ideas of how best we can have a positive impact on the situation.
[PC Guinea news] PCVs reportedly to be evacuated
The parent of a PCV reports that all volunteers will be evacuated to the Malian capital Bamako later this week for a period of at least two weeks.
Friday, October 02, 2009
[PC Guinea news] Peace Corps Monitoring Security Situation in Guinea
From The Peace Corps:
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 1, 2009
All Peace Corps/Guinea volunteers have been instructed to remain at their sites or a designated location while Peace Corps and the U.S. Embassy in Conakry continue to monitor and assess the safety and security situation in Guinea. All volunteers are safe and accounted for.
The State Department issued a Guinea travel warning earlier today due to civil unrest. Peace Corps leadership in Washington, DC remains in constant communication with the staff on the ground in Guinea and is working closely with the State Department to ensure the safety of volunteers.
Every Peace Corps program has an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) specific to that country and developed in cooperation with Peace Corps Washington and the local U.S. Embassy. The plans are evaluated and tested frequently and information is updated constantly. Volunteers are thoroughly trained in their roles and responsibilities, and posts are prepared for all emergencies.
There are 93 Volunteers in Guinea; 84 are in-country and 9 are currently traveling outside of the country.
Families are encouraged to contact Peace Corps’ Office of Special Services with any questions or concerns they may have. The Office of Special Services is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (including holidays) at 800.424.8580, extension 1470, or 202.692.1470."
Stay tuned for more updates...
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 1, 2009
All Peace Corps/Guinea volunteers have been instructed to remain at their sites or a designated location while Peace Corps and the U.S. Embassy in Conakry continue to monitor and assess the safety and security situation in Guinea. All volunteers are safe and accounted for.
The State Department issued a Guinea travel warning earlier today due to civil unrest. Peace Corps leadership in Washington, DC remains in constant communication with the staff on the ground in Guinea and is working closely with the State Department to ensure the safety of volunteers.
Every Peace Corps program has an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) specific to that country and developed in cooperation with Peace Corps Washington and the local U.S. Embassy. The plans are evaluated and tested frequently and information is updated constantly. Volunteers are thoroughly trained in their roles and responsibilities, and posts are prepared for all emergencies.
There are 93 Volunteers in Guinea; 84 are in-country and 9 are currently traveling outside of the country.
Families are encouraged to contact Peace Corps’ Office of Special Services with any questions or concerns they may have. The Office of Special Services is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (including holidays) at 800.424.8580, extension 1470, or 202.692.1470."
Stay tuned for more updates...
Monday, September 28, 2009
[Guinean news] As many as 87 (120+?) dead after security forces attack anti-Dadis march
Initial optimism about the new regime has faded dramatically ever since junta leader Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara reneged on a promise to not participate in presidential elections scheduled for January 31.
A new political party, the Rally for the Defense of the Republic, was formed to back the military leader's candidacy. After Dadis, who unilaterally declared himself president following the death of Gen. Lansana Conté, broke his pledge not to run for the chief executive, the African Union imposed sanctions on Guinea.
Anti-Dadis has been rising ever since the coup leader's electoral ambitions became clear. He was met by huge protests when he visited Labé, the country's second largest city. And when the opposition tried to organize a rally against the regime, the junta banned it.
When the demonstration proceeded anyway, the "security" forces fired live ammunition at the crowd, reportedly killing dozens of demonstrators.
"It's butchery! There are dozens of dead," a Conakry doctor told the French news agency AFP.
Some media outlets reporting the death total as high as 87.
Another Conakry doctor told the IRIN news agency that there were 'hundreds' of injuries from bullets and beatings.
The massacre occurred on the 51st anniversary of the referendum in which Guineans voted for independence from France.
Update: Al-Jazeera reports that opposition leader and former prime minister Cellou Dalien Diallo and several other politicians were thrown in jail. A source indicated to me that Diallo was also shot during the protests. New reports suggest the death toll now exceeds 120.
A new political party, the Rally for the Defense of the Republic, was formed to back the military leader's candidacy. After Dadis, who unilaterally declared himself president following the death of Gen. Lansana Conté, broke his pledge not to run for the chief executive, the African Union imposed sanctions on Guinea.
Anti-Dadis has been rising ever since the coup leader's electoral ambitions became clear. He was met by huge protests when he visited Labé, the country's second largest city. And when the opposition tried to organize a rally against the regime, the junta banned it.
When the demonstration proceeded anyway, the "security" forces fired live ammunition at the crowd, reportedly killing dozens of demonstrators.
"It's butchery! There are dozens of dead," a Conakry doctor told the French news agency AFP.
Some media outlets reporting the death total as high as 87.
Another Conakry doctor told the IRIN news agency that there were 'hundreds' of injuries from bullets and beatings.
The massacre occurred on the 51st anniversary of the referendum in which Guineans voted for independence from France.
Update: Al-Jazeera reports that opposition leader and former prime minister Cellou Dalien Diallo and several other politicians were thrown in jail. A source indicated to me that Diallo was also shot during the protests. New reports suggest the death toll now exceeds 120.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
[Guinean news] Junta bans politics on state media, shuts down text messaging amid rising political tension
Despite previously promising that he would not stand in presidential elections now scheduled for January 2010, Guinea's military leader Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara seems to be encouraging rumors that he actually win run, prompting a rise in political tension in the country.
A group calling itself the Dadis Must Go Movement clashed with police following demonstrations last week.
A group favourable to the junta, the Dadis Must Stay Movement, was set up at the beginning of August and its representatives were received, amid much publicity, on state television, by the permanent secretary to the junta, Major Moussa Keita, reports Reuters.
"I might (run for election) or I might not stand," Dadis told Agènce France Presse. He added that those who don't want him to be a candidate "don't understand anything about democracy."
Yesterday, the authorities responded to the disquiet by banning political discussion on state media; private broadcasters are virtually non-existent in the country.
A senior source in the CNC [National Communications Council], which regulates all media in Guinea, told Reuters that the ban was a result of "pressure from the entourage around the head of the junta."
The measure follows a row last week over efforts by the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) junta to block a text message being sent to mobile phones that called on Guineans to resist plans by CNDD leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to stand in elections.
Telecommunications companies felt threatened by the CNDD's order and suspended the use of the text messages for several days to stop the message from spreading, the Ghana-based Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) said.
The move was panned by human rights' organizations. "The coup leaders keep saying they are breaking with the past, but the use of threats and intimidation against opponents look disturbingly familiar," said Corinne Dufka, of Human Rights Watch.
A group calling itself the Dadis Must Go Movement clashed with police following demonstrations last week.
A group favourable to the junta, the Dadis Must Stay Movement, was set up at the beginning of August and its representatives were received, amid much publicity, on state television, by the permanent secretary to the junta, Major Moussa Keita, reports Reuters.
"I might (run for election) or I might not stand," Dadis told Agènce France Presse. He added that those who don't want him to be a candidate "don't understand anything about democracy."
Yesterday, the authorities responded to the disquiet by banning political discussion on state media; private broadcasters are virtually non-existent in the country.
A senior source in the CNC [National Communications Council], which regulates all media in Guinea, told Reuters that the ban was a result of "pressure from the entourage around the head of the junta."
The measure follows a row last week over efforts by the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) junta to block a text message being sent to mobile phones that called on Guineans to resist plans by CNDD leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to stand in elections.
Telecommunications companies felt threatened by the CNDD's order and suspended the use of the text messages for several days to stop the message from spreading, the Ghana-based Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) said.
The move was panned by human rights' organizations. "The coup leaders keep saying they are breaking with the past, but the use of threats and intimidation against opponents look disturbingly familiar," said Corinne Dufka, of Human Rights Watch.
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