Guinea: Tense funeral march in Conakry Sep. 28

Event

A "journée ville morte" (general strike) was held in the capital Conakry on Thursday, September 28, as well as a funeral march for two young people shot dead during a demonstration in Conakry on September 20. Following the march, incidents reportedly occurred in the Cosa district of Conakry, with youths burning tires on roads and disrupting traffic until dusk.

Further demonstrations are planned for October 4 to protest the government's failure to implement reforms laid out in a 2015 agreement. An increased police presence should be expected in the vicinity of all protests; further violent unrest is possible.

Context

Political protests take place on a regular basis throughout the country. Civil society protest groups, mainly organized by the political opposition, denounce what they claim is a failure of governance by President Alpha Condé and his party, accusing the administration of failing to address the country's poor economic performance. Demonstrators also regularly protest corruption, the high cost of living, public health issues, and insecurity. Clashes between anti-government demonstrators and police regularly take place. These latest two deaths bring the total number of people killed during opposition demonstrations since President Condé took power in 2010 to 83.

The 2015 agreement promised a revision of the electoral code, an audit of the electoral register, the organization of local elections, and compensation for victims of political violence and their families.

Advice

Individuals in Conakry are advised to remain vigilant and avoid all protests.