Two protesters were killed in demonstrations against Guinea’s ruling junta, according to organizers, as the government requested legal action against dissenters on Friday.
The opposition alliance, Living Forces of Guinea (FVG), had called for a peaceful protest on Thursday to condemn the junta’s repression and demand a return to civilian rule by the year’s end, coinciding with the third anniversary of the military coup.
Although the protest lacked momentum, the FVG reported the death of a 17-year-old boy allegedly shot by security forces on Thursday and claimed a woman was also killed a day earlier.
Since assuming power on September 5, 2021, the military authorities have brutally repressed opposition and banned demonstrations in 2022.
Government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo labelled the opposition as engaging in “systematic confrontation,” accusing them of “intimidating” youth and urging courts to act decisively against dissent.
He warned that those disrupting public order would face consequences.
Led by Mamady Doumbouya, the junta’s crackdown has resulted in at least 47 deaths from September 2021 to April 2024, according to Amnesty International. Many opposition leaders have been detained, prosecuted, or forced into exile.
Key anti-junta activists Oumar Sylla, also known as Fonike Mengue, and Mamadou Billo Bah have been missing since July 9.
Initially, under international pressure, the junta pledged to transfer power to elected civilians by the end of 2024, but has since shown intentions to backtrack on this commitment.