At least dozens of people were killed on Sunday in violent clashes between football fans during a match in N’Zerekore, Guinea’s second-largest city. Hospital sources reported scenes of overwhelming violence, with bodies filling the local hospital and morgue.
One doctor, speaking anonymously, said that around 100 people were dead, with the bodies of victims lying throughout the hospital. “There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital. Others are lying on the floor in the hallways. The morgue is full,” the doctor told AFP. Another source confirmed that there were “dozens of dead.”
Social media videos reportedly showed chaotic scenes outside the stadium and numerous lifeless bodies on the ground. A witness described the incident, stating that violence erupted after a controversial referee decision, which led to fans storming the pitch.
Local media reported that the match was part of a football tournament held in honour of Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who took power in a coup in September 2021 and assumed the role of president. These tournaments have become more frequent in the country, with Doumbouya considering a potential presidential run and forging political alliances.
N’Zerekore, located about 570 kilometres (350 miles) southeast of the capital Conakry, has a population of roughly 200,000 people. The violence that unfolded has left the community in shock and raised questions about the growing tensions surrounding the events organised in Doumbouya’s honour.
