Guinea’s ex-junta chief testifies about 2009 bloodbath, pleads innocence

Guinea’s former strongman Moussa Dadis Camara denied accountability when he took the stand Monday (Dec. 12) at a trial of former officers allegedly concerned in a 2009 bloodbath.

Wearing a garment of woven Burkina Faso fabric, Camara pleaded his innocence in entrance of a packed courtroom of a number of hundred individuals.

“If I’m right here earlier than you it’s due to my patriotism in any other case I might not have agreed to come back,” he instructed the attendancee. 

Camara mentioned he was sleeping through the early hours of the assault. Including hew as ultimately awoken at 11 a.m. when he was then instructed that demonstrators had been killed.

The previous captain in his fifties is one in every of 11 males charged for the Sept. 28, 2009 stadium assault by which safety forces fired at unarmed demonstrators protesting the junta chief’s plans to run for president.

The massacre killed 156 individuals and at the least 109 ladies have been raped by pro-junta forces on the rally in Conakry.

Who’s to take accountability?

On the time, Camara had been in energy for nearly a 12 months.

His deposition was a key second, Proceedings within the trial have been postponed till Monday from every week in the past after Camara mentioned he was too sick to provide testimony.

He’s charged with “private felony accountability and command accountability”.

Human rights investigators interviewed witnesses and reported that Camara’s aides have been on the stadium and did nothing to cease the violence. Witnesses mentioned that the presidential guard blocked the exits after which entered the stadium and opened hearth.

As commander in chief on the time, rights teams say Camara has to take accountability for what occurred.

“They certainly (acted) on this order. It’s as much as him to show that he didn’t give the order and took the required measures to stop the bloodbath,” mentioned Alseny Sall, communications officer for the Protection of Human Rights and Citizenship, a neighborhood rights group. 

“Merely saying that he’s harmless isn’t sufficient, it have to be motivated by clear and exact explanations,” he mentioned.

Camara is the ninth accused to testify with two individuals remaining. The trial is predicted to final at the least till the tip of the month.

In the meantime, households of the victims say they consider justice will prevail.

“Ultimately the reality can be recognized,” Aissatou Sow prayed. The 34-year-old’s fiancee was killed through the assault. “I didn’t need him to go to the stadium that day. I mentioned it’s harmful and he instructed me to not be afraid,” she mentioned.