Fan riots and a stampede in the West African country of Guinea leave 56 people dead and many injured. The government wants to clear up the situation - human rights activists sharply criticize the military junta.
02.12.2024, 12:50
02.12.2024, 14:04
SDA
The referee shows a red card, stones fly from the stands, security forces use tear gas, the situation escalates - and in the end several dozen people die. According to government figures, 56 people were killed and many injured, including children and young people, in a mass panic among football fans in Guinea.
It was initially unclear how many people were injured in the West African country and whether there were any other fatalities. Head of government Amadou Oury Bah expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and announced an investigation into those responsible. The injured were to receive psychosocial support, according to a government statement.
Gate closed, people climb over stadium wall
The serious clashes between groups of fans took place during a local tournament in the city of Nzerekore on Sunday evening. According to initial reports, the referee showed a red card to a player from the team from the city of Labe in the 84th minute of the match at 0-0. His fans then began throwing stones.
Security forces used tear gas and panic broke out among the spectators. Reports circulated on social media that the entrance gate to the stadium was blocked. Pictures showed people trying to climb over the stadium wall.
Hospital overwhelmed by number of victims
Head of government Bah addressed the population in a post on Platform X that night. He wrote that the authorities were working hard to restore order and called for calm so that emergency services would not be prevented from providing first aid to the injured.
According to media reports, the local hospital was overwhelmed by the number of casualties, many of whom are said to be children and young people.
The football match was part of a campaign by the ruling military junta in Guinea under the leadership of Mamady Doumbouya. Doumbouya came to power in a coup in 2021.
Criticism of the military junta by human rights activists
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch published a report on Guinea on Monday in which it criticized human rights violations by the junta and intimidation of the media and opposition. Doumbouya has not kept his promise to return to a civilian government by December, it says. Despite the overthrow of Doumbouya's autocratic predecessor Alpha Condé, critics have continued to be silenced, tortured and killed.
The West African state with around 13 million inhabitants is one of the world's largest suppliers of bauxite, an ore used in the production of aluminum. Guinea is roughly the size of Great Britain and borders the Atlantic Ocean in the west of the continent.