Denial of Arrest by Guinea’s Attorney General
The Guinean Attorney General denied on Wednesday, July 17, the arrest of two activists opposed to the ruling junta and called for investigations into their disappearance, which has sparked international outrage. Oumar Sylla, also known as “Foniké Menguè,” and Mamadou Billo Bah, both leaders of a citizen movement demanding the return of civilians to power, were reportedly arrested on July 9, according to their collective. Their alleged arrest is the latest in a series of ongoing arrests since Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, now President and promoted to General, seized power by force in September 2021.
Call for Investigation and Denial of Arrests
The Guinean Attorney General’s office issued a statement on Wednesday acknowledging “persistent information about abductions,” including the two men, while stating that “no investigating body has arrested anyone.” They emphasized that no prison in the country is holding the abducted individuals, calling on the Conakry prosecutor’s office to conduct thorough investigations into these disappearances. The National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC), the pro-democracy movement of Sylla and Bah, described their disappearance as a “kidnapping.”
Details of the Arrest and Detention
They were reportedly arrested on Tuesday night at Oumar Sylla’s residence by gendarmes and soldiers from elite units. The FNDC claimed that they were mistreated, taken to the Directorate of Judicial Investigations of the gendarmerie, and then transferred to Kassa Island, off the coast of Conakry, where they are held in secret. Guinean lawyers began a two-week strike on Tuesday to protest what they see as “arbitrary arrests.”
International Outcry and Calls for Release
Amnesty International and French left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon have demanded their immediate release. The FNDC, established in 2019 to oppose a third term for President Alpha Condé (overthrown in 2021), continues to operate under the junta as one of the few internal voices challenging the regime and advocating for a civilian return to power in this troubled and violent nation. In 2022, the authorities dissolved the FNDC and banned all demonstrations.
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