Security forces shot and killed at least 69 demonstrators today during protests against plans by the leader of the military junta to run in presidential elections in January.
“There are at least 59 bodies at the Donka hotel complex in the capital, Conakry and another 10 at the Ignace Deen hospital,” Mohamed Cisse, a doctor at Donka, said in a telephone interview today. “What we saw today is true slaughter.”
Witnesses said several prominent opposition leaders were arrested and scores of protesters were injured in violence that began when thousands of people took to the streets of the capital Conakry and met in a stadium despite a massive security operation by the authorities.
One witness who went to the Red Cross in Conakry said he had counted at least 20 people with bullet wounds. Other witnesses said a police station was torched and several police vehicles, equipment and at least one officer were captured by angry crowds.
The violence follows months of wrangling between Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, Guinea's military ruler who seized power in a 2008 coup, and his rivals. Mr Camara has not ruled out standing in elections, angering opponents and foreign donors alike.
The junta, known as the National Council for Democracy and Development, said it would not negotiate with the protestors. "Those who want to defy the authority of the state, we will stop them," a junta spokesman said on local radio.
A loose coalition of opposition parties is leading the campaign against his candidacy and wanted to hold a meeting at the national stadium, the Stade du 28 Septembre, in Conakry. It was banned but thousands of people took to the streets and broke into the stadium anyway.
Cellou Dalein Diallo, leader of major opposition group the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), and several other politicians were arrested by the security forces.
Mr Camara seized power after former president Lansana Conte died in December 2008. He enjoyed initial support from a population hungry for change after decades of Conte's rule left the mineral-rich nation in disarray.
However, increasingly erratic behaviour, including crackdowns on former backers in the military, attacks on mining companies the country is so dependent on and the likelihood he will stand in a poll due in 2010, have fuelled instability.
Mining firms such as UC RUSAL and Rio Tinto have not indicated they are ready to leave the country despite a series of disputes, but officials say government revenues from mineral exports will fall dramatically next year, putting the budget under strain.
Foreign donors and West Africa's regional body ECOWAS, which have also been trying to resolve political crises in Mauritania and Niger, have appealed to Mr Camara not to stand for election. Diplomats say he is likely to do so anyway.
Thousands of people gathered in the town of Labe over the weekend, protesting against Camara's rule during a visit he made to the central Guinean town. However, a heavy security presence ensured there were no incidents.