Dozens killed' at Guinea protest

Several protesters feared killed in Guinea rally

UNKNOWN number of people were feared killed and seriously wounded yesterday after Guinea's security forces used tear gas, live ammunition and batons to quell an opposition rally. Opponents of junta leader, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, had planned to hold a demonstration against plans mooted by the military for Camara, who seized power in a 2008 coup, to stand in elections due early next year.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) counted five bodies and witnesses confirmed other deaths. Camara initially pledged not to run in a presidential vote planned for January, but now seems likely to stand. Reports said the demonstrators were dispersed and the military mounted heavy checkpoints on many roadgs. Also, some opposition leaders were reportedly arrested and journalists targeted by the security forces. Camara staged a coup hours after the death of President Lansana Conte, who had ruled for more than two decades.

The military takeover initially had some popular support, but in recent weeks, there have been several anti-government protests. They appear to have been sparked by hints from Capt Camara that he may stand for president in January. In Conakry, demonstrators gathered outside the capital's largest stadium, carrying placards reading "No to Dadis" and "Down with the Army in Power", according to the Agence France Presse (AFP) news agency. But the demonstration had already been banned and the stadium was closed and guarded by large numbers of police. Clashes between police and demonstrators followed, with officers charging the crowds and firing live ammunition. Guinea expert, Gilles Yabi, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme the rally was not surprising. "This is only the beginning of demonstrations and counter-demonstrations we can expect in the next few months," he said. Should Camara stand for president, he said it would be a violation of the tacit agreement between military and civil forces, which has kept him in power. And it would mark a perpetuation of the kind of rule that Guinea has seen for the past decade - which the military had promised to sweep away.

Camara's rule has been characterised by eccentric displays of power - such as forcing members of the elite presidential guard to beg for forgiveness on national television after they roughed up a veteran officer. Former aides and officials have been accused of corruption and links to the drugs trade, including the son of former President Lansana Conte, who was shown confessing on television to smuggling cocaine.