Friday, December 4, 2009

Dadis Camara shot and wounded!

Guinea's junta chief was shot and wounded in a murder bid by an aide on Thursday, officials said, amid uncertainty over his condition and high tension after a recent massacre of opposition supporters. One government official said on state radio that Captain Moussa Dadis Camara had been "lightly injured" in the incident, while another announced that the aide had been arrested.

Camara's spokesman said the junta leader was "doing well," but a Senegalese official said his country had sent a medical plane to evacuate Camara to Dakar. "Senegal has sent a medical plane to Conakry to bring Dadis to Dakar," the official said on condition of anonymity. [Why? Why, Abdoulaye Wade? Why try to save a murderer who has brought chaos to his own country? Birds of a feather or lapse in judgement?].

Witnesses had earlier reported hearing gunfire in the capital of the West African country and seeing soldiers deploying in the streets. The incident occurred with tensions having mounted in Guinea following a massacre of opposition supporters at a stadium rally in September. Idrissa Cherif, the spokesman for Camara, did not give further details on his condition, but warned the aide responsible would face a heavy penalty. "His ex-aide de camp, Toumba Diakite, made an attempt on the life of the head of state, but thanks to God, the president is doing well," Cherif told AFP by phone.

The murder attempt occurred at Camp Koundara in Conakry's administrative centre, he said. Witnesses had earlier reported hearing the sounds of gunfire coming from the camp. Diakite "has been located, meaning arrested," Cherif said. "When you attack a head of state, you attack state security," he said. "Those who wanted to make an attempt on the life of President Dadis will face a punishment in accordance with the gravity of the act that they wanted to carry out." [And what happens if you kill hundreds of people and publicly rape many women? Will the punishment carry the same gravity as the act?].

Asked what the motive was for the murder attempt, Cherif made reference to the stadium massacre. "The president called for transparency with the international commission of inquiry to find out what happened at the stadium," he said. "I am not saying that it is for that reason ... but know that the president has always wanted complete transparency". [Yeah right]. The aide, who had previously been in charge of personal security for the junta chief, has been accused by witnesses of being one of the leaders of the massacre. Asked about dissension within the military, Cherif said "the head of state is today with all the armed forces chiefs of staff. That has nothing to do with a small number of individuals who wanted to make an attempt on (his) life."

Soldiers had been deployed into the streets of Guinea's capital and helicopters patrolled overhead after gunshots were heard in the city, witnesses said. "The town is plunged in darkness, filled with soldiers. Everything is closed, the service stations, the shops, everything," one resident told AFP.

One soldier who is a member of a guard close to the aide said the shooting occurred after Camara told him he wanted to denounce him as the ringleader of the stadium massacre.

But a high-ranking police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, provided a different explanation, saying the government had recently moved to arrest suspects close to the aide as part of anti-drug operations.

Culled from France 24 website, personal opinions in red.

2 comments:

  1. Was almost jumping for joy! Thought he had been shot dead! Now the state security is arresting suspects, what did they do after the mass rape? And the hundreds of people that were killed in the Sept attack, NOTHING!
    No one knows when the hour of redemption would come, but it sure would!... And very soon, some of us are getting impatient, we desire to see a change.

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  2. Kemi you better stop jumping, you remember when Abacha died?? we were all happy, you know what happened a week after that, look at where Nigeria is today. I dont know if Africa is doomed, its sad but a part of me is starting to believe that.

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