A Guinean opponent, detained since September in Conakry, died Wednesday night through Thursday, December 17. Roger Bamba, in his forties, was a member of the communications cell and youth leader of the Union for Democratic Forces in Guinea (UFDG), the largest opposition party, led by Cellou Dalein Diallo. He died a few hours after being transferred to the hospital in the capital. He was arrested after exchanging messages about the political situation in the country, according to his wife, who accuses the authorities of ill-treatment and state crime.
He misses a friend and mourns “a fighter for democracy in the country”. Diabaty Doré, president of the opposition RPR party and a member of the coalition that supported Cellou Dalein Diallo during the presidential election, was close to Roger Bamba. He condemns his conditions for detention:
“It was at 7 m² where they were nine people. With nine people, how to sleep? How to lie down? Conditions are very terrible in the Republic of Guinea. And what are we accused of? Nobody knows! He was arrested just for his faith! ”
The political aspect does not comment on the spokesman for the Ministry of Justice, Sékou Keita. But he assures that the legal process has been respected and he rejects the allegations of ill-treatment. According to him, Roger Bamba would have died of liver cirrhosis:
“Of course, we can not congratulate ourselves on the conditions of detention. But Roger Bamba met the conditions for detention that can be considered acceptable today. We guarantee an autopsy if requested by family or relatives to clarify this. We do not blame ourselves at all. “
In a statement, the United States called on the government to respect the rule of law and ensure that prisoners receive fair trials.
Five opposition figures, including four members of the UFDG, have been in custody since November in Guinea, accused by authorities of being involved in the violence surrounding the presidential election. The candidacy forAlpha Condé to a third period led to months of fiercely suppressed protests and violence that have left dozens of civilian deaths in the past year and in the days after the election.
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