Share

Teen killed as Guinea police fire tear gas on banned demo

A teenager was killed Tuesday as Guinean police clashed with youths in the capital Conakry and the opposition leader claimed his car was shot at during a banned rally over disputed elections.

Mamadou Samba Diallo, an 18-year-old apprentice plumber, died after being shot by security forces, his uncle Cellou Binani Diallo, a news photographer who works for several organisations including AFP, said.

"My nephew was shot by soldiers in the Cosa suburb. The moment they shot him, he fell and they surrounded him and kicked him," he said.

"When they were sure he was dead, they got on their pick-up truck and continued on their way," Diallo said.

Opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo denounced "yet another death from the bullets of the security forces", adding that 97 demonstrators had been killed since 2010 when President Alpha Conde came to power.

* Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook

"They wanted to assassinate me. The bullet passed between my driver and myself. My driver was wounded," Diallo said, alleging his vehicle was hit by a police bullet as he was on his way to the protest.

After demonstrators tried to block traffic in Cosa, they lobbed stones in clashes with police who responded with tear gas, an AFP reporter said.

Tensions have been high in the poor west African country since the death on October 16 of a protester during a two-day campaign aimed at bringing Conakry to a standstill.

Opposition leader Diallo, a former prime minister and key opponent of President Conde, accused the gendarmerie of targeting his vehicle.

AFP could not immediately confirm police had fired live rounds. The police meanwhile rejected the allegation.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 394 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 545 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE