The National Assembly rejects demand to prolong state of martial law
President Lansana Conte had placed the country under a curfew as part of a state of emergency due to last until 23 February. The country’s military had received orders from President Conte to take all necessary measures to restore order in the country after a peaceful strike had been called in January by Guinea’s national trade unions to exert pressure on President Lansana Conte concerning several economic and social claims.
Reports from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), a member of OMCT SOS-Torture network, documented the violent repression by security forces on peaceful demonstrations, held in support of the strike, during which many people were arbitrarily arrested and detained, among others union leaders.
On 27 January 2007, an agreement bringing the strike to an end was reached between the national unions (CNTG-USTG, ONSLG and UDTG) and the Guinean government. In this treaty, the Guinean President committed to the designation of a consensus government headed by a Prime Minister, “strict respect for the separation of powers principle”, and a series of essential measures aiming to ensure incomes and living standards.
Nevertheless, the strike was resumed on 12 February 2007 after President Conte assigned Mr. Eugene Camara, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and close ally to Mr. Conte, as Prime Minister. As a consequence to this appointment, the national unions manifested their discontent and demanded Mr. Conte’s resignation. This renewed the military operations, raising the death toll to over 80 by mid-February, with hundreds of people injured.
Fortunately, this second episode of violence and threat to the lives of trade unionists and other Guinean citizens was brought to an end the 23 February 2007 through the National Assembly of the Republic of Guinea’s rejection of President Lansana Contes request to extend the “State of siege”. The International Secretariat of the OMCT welcomes the Guinean National Assembly’s decision, and trusts this to be a first step towards the resolution of the ongoing crisis in this country which has, regrettably, already claimed too many lives and wounded many others.
In this regard, OMCT also calls upon the Guinean authorities to order the immediate release of all persons arrested during the demonstrations in the absence of valid legal charges, and if such charges exist, ensure that they are given a prompt and fair trial, in which their procedural rights are guaranteed at all times. The authorities should also launch a thorough and impartial investigation into these events as foreseen in the 27 January agreement, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law.
Finally, OMCT urges the authorities to guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international humanitarian law and human rights standards.
Geneva, 27 February 2007
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