More than 20 people have been killed after violence broke out in Guinea following a heavily disputed presidential election last week.
President Alpha Conde, 82, won a hotly contested October 18 election with 59.49 percent of the votes, while pposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo secured just 33.5 percent.
This will be Conde’s third term as president.
Diallo prematurely declared himself as the winner of the elections ahead of the results.
“I invite all my fellow citizens who love peace and justice to stay vigilant and committed to defend this democratic victory,” he said from his party headquarters. Following the results, he claimed to have evidence of fraud and announced his plans to file a complaint with the Constitutional Court.
However, the official count shattered his dreams of becoming the country’s leader.
Monitors from the African Union and the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, has insisted the presidential election was conducted properly.
Amnesty International released a statement condemning the violence in Guinea. The organization says that they have “authenticated” witness testimonies, satellite imagery, and videos analyzed, confirming that Guinea’s defense and security forces used live ammunition against protesters following the election.
“Authorities must stop the use of firearms. The death of protesters, bystanders and local officials of the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution must also be independently, impartially and effectively investigated. If criminal culpability is found, those suspected must be brought to justice in fair trials before civilian courts,” Fabien Offner, Amnesty International West and Central Africa researcher, said in a statement.
“President Alpha Condé has repeatedly said he preferred to leave the country in 1993, rather than go into confrontation and ‘govern cemeteries’, as is the case today. We urge the international community to urgently come together and call for the protection of the population and for investigations to be opened.”
