Guinean opposition criticises junta after 10 deaths in Siguiri
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Senego and Mosaiqueguinee
The Forces Vives de Guinée collective has criticised the authorities’ handling of events after at least 10 people died in clashes with gold miners in Siguiri. Senego reports that the clashes followed the ban on illegal gold mining imposed on 2 November, in a region where the army has been deployed and tens of thousands of West Africans have been turned back. The provisional toll also includes 13 injured people, while five foreigners were among the dead.
The clashes on 11 November in the Sètiguiyah area of Balato left 10 people dead and 13 injured, according to the provisional toll released by the Guinean government. The Liberal Bloc (BL) is calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the deaths and urging the authorities to inform the victims’ families and the consular representations of foreign victims promptly.
The party believes that the fight against illegal gold mining and the protection of the environment must comply with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. It points to discrepancies between official explanations and some local accounts of how the operations unfolded and the time allowed for operators to remove their equipment, and is calling for objective verification.
The BL wants the commission of inquiry to establish the chronology of events, determine the circumstances of the deaths and identify any potential criminal responsibility. It is also calling for medical care for the injured, support for the families and protection of civilians against violence, intimidation or reprisals.
To prevent further clashes, the party proposes clarifying the rules and deadlines governing gold mining, formalising and regulating artisanal activity, creating designated mining zones and developing local economic alternatives. It also advocates dialogue involving the authorities, communities, elders, civil society and mining stakeholders.
