Guinea

Guinea is preparing for presidential elections in October 2020. Its president, Alpha Condé, has been nominated by his party to run for a third term.

But many in Guinea fear the election could lead to renewed violence like it did in March 2020, in the city of Nzerekore in Guinea’s Forest Region.

Hélène ZOGBELEMOU
ACTIVIST

In Nzérékoré, longstanding and intercommunal tensions erupted into widespread violence during the legislative elections and the constitutional referendum that paved the way for President Condé’s candidacy in the upcoming presidential elections.

BANGALY SY SAVANÉ

IMAM

I was home. I was told that a group had attacked a voting station in Bellevue. Another group attacked a voting station in Gonia, and yet another one in my neighborhood, Nyen.

HABA KOULI

PASTOR

There were two groups that were shooting and attacking each other. And suddenly I saw a group heading towards my house, with my family inside. And my church, my home, and the school behind, were attacked. Thse are the bullets, I’ve never seen bullets like this.

In less than 48 hours, at least 32 people were killed, and over 90 were injured. Many of the victims were targeted and killed in horrendous circumstances.

JOACHIM PIVI

On March 22 [2020], I was on my way home when a group of youngsters attacked me. Some of them beat me with sticks, some with a machete, you can see the scars on my head.

LANCINE CONDÉ

They were shooting around, behind us. Then they lit the roof of our house on fire. When my uncle went to put the fire out, they shot him.

Our research shows that Guinean security forces, tasked with maintaining order during the election, didn’t do enough to stop the violence.

LANCINE CONDÉ

The security forces came too late, my uncle had already been shot. We went to report the incident with the gendarmes. They came to visit here but since then we have not heard anything.

Guinean security forces also themselves committed human rights violations in Nzerekore, including excessive use of force unlawful killings, and illegal detentions.

Hélène ZOGBELEMOU
ACTIVIST

Most of those arrested were illegally detained at a military camp in Nzérékoré and kept in degrading conditions.

As Guinea’s upcoming elections draw near, the government should ensure that security forces protect civilians, refrain from excessive use of force, while respecting people’s right to demonstrate peacefully.

The authorities should also identify all those responsible for the violence, regardless of their political or ethnic affiliation, and hold them accountable.

The government of Guinea is constructing a massive dam on the Konkouré river to produce electricity.

The dam is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s trillion dollar investment in infrastructure worldwide.

Yasmin Dagne – Human Rights Watch:

The Souapiti Hydro Electric dam will flood a vast zone home to dozens of villages, all of which must be relocated. And thousands of hectors of farmland will also be destroyed.

The dam is displacing 16,000 people

We spoke to residents of Konkouré before they were relocated.

Thierno Babagalé Bah:

I was born here. It was my ancestors who founded this village. We’re going to leave a lot of things behind, like our plantations. We leave it for the development of Guinea.

Fatoumata Barry:

If we had the choice, we wouldn’t leave. But since the government tells us we will be relocated, we have to do it. Otherwise, we’d have liked to be buried on our land, next to our parents.

By October 2019, flood waters had reached Konkouré and the village was relocated.

Communities are resettled in new homes surrounding the dam’s reservoir.

But many people have lost the farmland and grazing fields they relied on for food.

Boubacar Bah:

We were brought here but they didn’t show us where to farm. So how will we farm? We can’t farm. How can the government help us?

The government has promised to help farmers adapt and find new income sources but so far communities have seen little support.

Yasmin Dagne – Human Rights Watch:

The government of Guinea is happy to talk up the benefits that Souapiti’s electricity will bring, but the government can and should do more to ensure that the project does not harm the communities most affected by it.