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Massacre, Murders, Molestation: Guinea puts its ex-President on trial after 13 years

Dristi SharmaSeptember 29, 2022 | 19:23 IST

In the hope of seeing long-delayed justice, Guinea has begun a historic trial against its former President and 10 other accused in a 13-year-old case. On September 28, 2009, the military massacred protesters in a stadium, killing at least 157 of them and raping numerous women.

In Guinea's capital Conakry, a new courtroom was constructed for the trial against the country's ex-President, Moussa Dadis Camara.

Family members crying after identifying the body of a relative killed in the Massacre. Photo: Reuters

Many human rights experts see the case as a test for a West African country in holding army officers to account.  

 

The victims have been waiting so long for those responsible for Guinea's 2009 stadium massacre to be held to account.
- Elise Keppler, Associate International Justice director at Human Rights Watch. 

Recap September 28, 2009: 

(Trigger Warning: Rape, Violence)

  • At around 11.30 am, several hundreds of Guinea's security forces burst into a stadium in Guinea's capital, Conakry, and opened fire on tens of thousands of people.
  • By late afternoon there were at least 150 dead in and around the stadium complex. 

 

  • These people had gathered at Conakry stadium to protest at a pro-democratic rally against the then-coup leader, Moussa Dadis Camara. 
  • After the massacre, Human Rights Watch released a 108-page report, titled it 'Bloody Monday', showcasing testimonies from witnesses.

The witnesses narrated what they saw with their own eyes:

Bodies were strewn across the field, crushed against gates, draped over walls, and piled outside locker rooms where doors had been pulled shut by the terrified few who had gotten there first. Some victims were then knived or bayoneted to death.  
- An eyewitness of the massacre 
  • Women who were raped said that they were pulled from hiding places in the stadium, including from under chairs, and raped, often by multiple men from the security forces. 
  • Others said that they saw four women shot after being sexually assaulted. 

Then: The security forces planned a cover-up of their crimes by blocking off the stadium and morgue entrances, and taking the bodies away to be buried in mass graves.

How authorities in Guinea and across the world responded to the massacre: Not all Guinean authorities were part of this mass murder plan, and some stood by their fellow Guineans.

  • For example, the then Foreign Minister Alexandre Cécé Loua met the ICC (International Criminal Courts) to help get justice for the victims.  
Guinean Foreign Minister Alexandre Cécé Loua meeting ICC Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in The Hague. Photo: ICC

What Guinea did: Guinean authorities committed to ensuring justice for the crimes, and opened an investigation in early 2010. However, many obstacles impeded its progress and made the route to justice slow and inconsistent. 

Many organisations and NGOs were also formed just to ensure justice for the September 28, 2009 victims and gain the world's attention.  

What was the first day of the 2022 trial like? According to Reuters, the judge called each accused to the bar at the beginning of the trial.

  • In the packed courtroom, murder, attempted murder, rape, torture, and theft charges were read out live. 

However, following a request from both the victims' and accused's lawyers, the judge adjourned the case to October 4 to give them time to familiarise themselves with the charge sheet.

The bigger picture: The results of the trial, many suspect, will be unprecedented because Guinea is still ruled by a military government, which is overseeing the trial. This list of Guinea's military leaders also includes the current military head, Col Mamady Doumbouya, a US-trained officer who staged a coup last year.

Last updated: September 29, 2022 | 19:29
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