|
Local residents told Reuters military vehicles and special
forces were policing the streets of the Guinean capital after
shots were heard in the Kaloum administrative district, where
Camara and others were held at the Central House prison.
"It was around 0500 (0500 GMT) that heavily armed men burst into
the Central House of Conakry. They managed to leave with four
defendants in the trial of the events of Sept. 28 including
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara," the minister said on the radio.
"They will be found wherever they are," he said, declining to
give further details of the investigation.
Guinea's borders have been closed to prevent the escapees
fleeing the country, he said.
Camara and others have been on trial since last year, accused of
orchestrating a stadium massacre and mass rape by Guinean
security forces in which 150 people were killed during a
pro-democracy rally on Sept. 28, 2009.
Camara has denied responsibility, blaming the atrocities on
errant soldiers.
Residents near Kaloum said shots were first heard around 4 a.m.
local time after which security was tightened on the streets and
the entrance to Kaloum was blocked.
By late morning, the capital appeared calm with many soldiers
still visible in some areas, ordering people to stay at home,
Mmah Camara, a resident of Tombo district, said by phone.
Guinea is governed by military leader Mamady Doumbouya, who took
power in a coup in 2021 - one of eight in West and Central
Africa in the last three years. Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad
and Gabon are also run by military officers.
(writing by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Jason Neely,
Alexandra Hudson and Giles Elgood)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
