Causecast

by CLAIRE GRINTON, Contributing Writer

A protest Monday in Conakry, Guinea has left at least 157 dead and over 1,200 injured. The protesters gathered to oppose Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, the military junta leader, bidding for the presidency in the January 2010 election. The day before the protest, where tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators came together, Camara banned all demonstrations until October 2nd, the national holiday. Despite this, the opposing force gathered at a city stadium, where presidential guard troops opened fire and arrested dozens, including two former prime ministers. Citizen reports claim that the violence, raping, and looting spilled into surrounding neighborhoods on Tuesday, despite the absence of protesters.

AlJazeera’s news coverage of the violence:

Camara came to power December 24 2008, just one day after the death of Lansana Conté, then Republic of Guinea president, whereupon he announced the suspension of the Constitution and the dissolution of the government, to be replaced by the junta, a repressive military-led governing body. Virtually unknown to the public, he declared himself president and promised a free, fair election in January 2010 in which no junta leader would be eligible for the candidacy. However, just nine months after his initial rise to power, Camara shows no sign of leaving. Though he has not formally announced his intent to run for President in 2010, he is already under strong international pressure to step down. Nonetheless, the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD), led by Camara, is calling for a government led by individuals dedicated to national unity, giving no sign that Camara will heed the warnings of the national and international communities asking him to remove himself from power.

On Tuesday evening, Camara went on television blaming the events of Monday on the irresponsibility of the opposition and is calling for an inquiry. Show your support for the demonstrators and help raise awareness for this issue by blogging, tweeting, or sharing information with friends over social networking sites.

The International Federation of Human Rights and Human Rights Watch have been vocal in encouraging the international community to oppose these acts of violence. Human Rights Watch and the Guinea Organization for the Defense of Human Rights have called for Camara to be removed from a position of power. The most immediately pressing is the need for medical help for the wounded protesters and civilians. Currently, medical professionals from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are donating their time and services to those injured in the protest, so any donation you make to MSF helps them heal the injured.

It is expected that Camara will make a public statement soon regarding the 2010 presidential election – so stay tuned for the newest developments in Guinea. Make sure you’re doing what you can to support the international community’s outcry against this violent regime.