In Guinea, the residents of Conakry were woken up by gunfire this Saturday, November 4th. The presence of soldiers was reported in several parts of the city. The Minister of Justice confirmed the escape of several prisoners from the central prison in Conakry. Among the refugees are Moussa Dadis Camara, former head of the CNDD junta, Claude Pivi, his former minister of presidential security, and Moussa Tiegboro Camara, the former head of the special services.
Published on: April 11, 2023 – 12:10 p.m. Modified on: April 11, 2023 – 12:30 p.m
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In a telephone conversation with a private radio station (FIM FM) this morning (FIM FM), the Minister of Justice confirmed the escape of several prisoners from the central prison in Conakry this Saturday morning, November 4th.
“At 5 a.m., heavily armed men stormed the main house in Conakry. They managed to leave with four defendants in the trial surrounding the events of September 28, in particular Captain Moussa Dadis Camara and Claude Pivi, including of course Tiegboro, who was recaptured and is already in the main house. And this situation, as I told you, comes at a time when the Dixinn District Court has just issued another order to refer four more defendants to the criminal court,” said Alphonse Charles Wright.
Among the refugees are Moussa Dadis Camara, former head of the CNDD junta, Claude Pivi, his former minister of presidential security, and Moussa Tiegboro Camara, the former head of the special services. All three are accused in the trial over the Conakry stadium massacre, in which more than 150 people died on September 28, 2009. Tiegboro and Pivi have been “recaptured,” their lawyers assured.
“There were battle tanks. It pulled in all directions.”
RFI collected the testimony of Raynatou Diallo, a resident of Kaloum district, a district where Conakry Central Prison is also located.
“I live very close to the Boiro camp in Camayenne. This morning at 6:00 a.m. we were woken up by gunshots all over the city, from Kaloum, the 8 November Bridge, to Dixinn, here. I went out to open the door to see what was happening outside and saw people fleeing. Battle tanks drove by everywhere. It was shooting in all directions, so I lay on the ground, afraid of stray bullets. Things have calmed down there for the moment, but I also saw a helicopter flying all over the area… We went back to hide because we didn’t know what might happen next. »
According to Moussa Dadis Camara’s lawyer, he was taken out of prison this Saturday morning by a heavily armed commando during an operation that saw intense gunfire in the center of Conakry, raising the possibility of his client being kidnapped against his will .
Also read Trial on September 28th in Guinea: Moussa Dadis Camara loses calm during the clashes