Guinea’s former military ruler Moussa Dadis Camara was recaptured just hours after an alleged liberation operation. Camara was found safe and taken to prison, an army spokesman said on Saturday. He declined to provide further information about the circumstances of the arrest.
A lawyer for Camara, Jocamey Haba, confirmed that his client was back behind bars. Only on Saturday morning were armed cameras – accompanied by violent shootings – taken out of the central prison. It was initially unclear whether the former dictator escaped of his own free will.
While the armed men acted as “liberators” according to information from judicial circles, Camara’s lawyer expressed fears that the 58-year-old had been kidnapped. According to various sources, two or three other men were released from prison in addition to Camara. One of them, Moussa Tiegboro Camara, was also “recaptured,” according to his lawyer.
There were fears of another coup
The action raised fears of another coup. Camara held power in the West African country between 2008 and 2009. According to a UN investigation, the army under his rule killed more than 150 people during an opposition rally in September 2009. At least 109 women were raped.
Due to the actions of the army at the time, a trial against Camara and other suspects of responsibility has been ongoing since September 2022. The former ruler has been in prison ever since. According to the Justice Department, all of the men released from prison will be charged during the trial.
Military leadership calls for calm
The military leadership, in turn, called for calm and assured that it stands ‘unwaveringly’ behind current junta chief Mamady Doumbouya. The prison’s attackers wanted to “sabotage the reforms initiated by Doumbouya,” Chief of General Staff Ibrahima Sory Bangoura said in a televised address.
Source: Krone
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