“Inquiry into Conakry Massacre Must Include International Participation”

News

By Olivier Kambala, Cape Town

The commission of inquiry into the killing of an estimated 150 people in Conakry by the Guinean military on Sep. 28 must be independent, impartial and have strong international participation, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) said today.

The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States must also demonstrate leadership in the probe and uphold their commitments to fight impunity, as embedded in the African Charter for Human and People’s Rights and other human rights instruments adopted by African countries.

“Guinea has a long history of impunity for state-sponsored human rights violations, and has failed twice in the past two years to establish effective investigations into abhorrent abuses committed against the exercise of civil and political rights,” said Suliman Baldo, director of ICTJ’s Africa Program. “Only an impartial, international commission of inquiry can uncover the truth of the Conakry massacre as a first step toward holding human rights abusers accountable for their crimes.”

On Sep. 28, members of the Guinean military opened fire on civil society and political party groups at a peaceful rally inside a stadium demonstrating against the decision of Moussa Dadis Camara, the country’s military ruler, to contest presidential elections in 2010. Eyewitnesses reported that people were shot in the back while trying to escape from the stadium. An estimated 150 people were killed, and thousands more were injured.

Camara has pledged to investigate the massacre, though his conflict of interest as the military’s commander-in-chief means any internal investigation would likely fail. Previous failed investigation initiatives in Guinea include an Independent National Commission of Inquiry formed in May 2007 to address serious human rights violations, and a dialogue and reconciliation commission established in April 2008. Neither carried out its mission.

“West Africa provides growing examples of accountability measures that have involved international participation: truth commissions in Sierra Leone and Liberia, a soon-to-open truth commission in Togo, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone,” Baldo said. “Guinea must establish an international commission of inquiry without delay as a first step toward a comprehensive set of accountability measures to end impunity, deliver justice and restore dignity to victims of serious human rights abuses.”

Editor @ October 10, 2009