A group of United Nations experts has called on Guinea’s ruling military junta to address concerns over the alleged enforced disappearances of three prominent human rights activists, two of whom remain missing.
The joint letter from UN special rapporteurs on torture, freedom of association, and human rights defenders, alongside the UN working group on enforced disappearances, was sent in April but remains unanswered after 60 days.
The experts highlighted allegations of the kidnapping, enforced disappearance, and torture of Abdoul Sacko, a well-known critic of the junta, who was abducted in February by masked men breaking into his home through the ceiling. He was later found severely tortured and in critical condition.
Additionally, opposition figures Oumar Sylla (also known as Fonike Mengue) and Mamadou Billo Bah have been missing since July 2024. Both have been vocal advocates for a return to civilian governance in the impoverished West African nation.
The letter expressed grave concerns that these disappearances are part of a wider pattern aimed at silencing civil society, opposition members, and dissidents, discouraging peaceful protest, assembly, and political participation.
The UN experts demanded information about any investigations, the current status and whereabouts of Sylla and Bah, and clarification on any legal grounds for their detention if applicable.
They urged Guinea’s authorities to prevent any irreversible harm to the activists and to hold those responsible accountable.
Since seizing power in a 2021 coup, Guinea’s military government, led by General Mamady Doumbouya, has been repeatedly accused of cracking down on opposition and dissent, including banning protests and closing media outlets.
