(Conakry) Police in Guinea denied on Thursday that seven people had been killed during demonstrations organized the day before against the junta, as declared by the opposition.
“The figure given by the organizers of the demonstration is false and is only imaginary,” said police spokesman Mory Kaba.
“They just want to discredit the authorities who are doing everything to avoid deaths during the demonstrations,” he said.
The Forces Vives, an opposition collective made up of parties, unions and civil society organizations, said seven people were killed and 32 injured by gunshots in the capital on Wednesday.
Protests in Guinea routinely result in clashes with security forces. The toll of this violence is always difficult to establish precisely.
The Forces vives called for the resumption of demonstrations for the release of three civil society figures imprisoned for several months as well as that of all the prisoners whom the collective considers to be political.
He calls for the opening of a credible dialogue with a view to a rapid return of civilians to the head of the country, as well as the lifting of the ban on all demonstrations introduced in 2022 by the junta in power since a coup. in 2021.
The three civil society figures were released on Wednesday evening. Foniké Mangué, Ibrahima Diallo and Mamadou Billo Bah are leaders of the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC), an organization dissolved by the junta, but which is part of the Forces Vives.
Ibrahima Diallo said he fought for “freedom, human rights, justice and democracy”.
“If you are sent to prison for these reasons and you get out, you must continue the fight,” he maintained.
The military has pledged under international pressure to make way for elected civilians by the end of 2024, the time to carry out deep reforms, they say.