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| International Commission of Inquiry to probe Guinea massacre
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Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) -
The International Contact Group on Guinea (ICG-G) Monday
called for the establishment of an International
Commission of Inquiry to investigate the 28 Sept. 2009 killing of 157 unarmed ci
vilians and the rape of women during a protest in the Guinean capital, Conakry,
a
gainst alleged plans by junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara to participate in the c
o
untry's forthcoming presidential election.
The Commission of Inquiry, according to a communique issued here after a day-lon
g meeting of the Group, will identify the culprits and prosecute them in the com
p
etent courts in Guinea or at the International Criminal Court so as to put an e
n
d to acts of impunity.
The ICG-G requested UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in collaboration with ECOW
AS and the African Union, and with the support of the High Commission for Human
R
ights, to facilitate the establishment of the International Commission of Inquir
y
.
It also urged ECOWAS, with the support of its partners, to set up an internation
al observer and protection mission, comprising civilians and military
personnel, to protect the members of the panel of inquiry and witnesses against
acts of intimidation and to contribute to the establishment of an
atmosphere of security for the people of Guinea.
The Group called on all partners to immediately prepare mechanisms for appropria
te targeted sanctions to be imposed on the identified culprits, and condemned
the brutal acts, rapes and the massacre perpetrated by armed troops under the au
thority of the ruling National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD)
against women and unarmed civilians during a protest by members of the Forces Vi
ves on 28 Sept.
It demanded that the authorities in Guinea free all those who have been detained
since 28 Sept., return the bodies of the victims to their families, allow all
wounded persons in hospitals and outside, in particular raped women, to freely r
eceive medical care; lift obstacles to freedom of expression, movement
and assembly and ban the bearing of weapons of war by military personnel outside
barracks not under active command.
ICG-G called on Capt. Camara to formalise not later than the deadline of 17 Octo
ber 2009, fixed by the 204th meeting of the African Union Peace and Security
Council, his commitment that neither himself nor members of the CNDD nor the Pri
me Minister would contest the Presidential election, ''failing which the Group
calls on the African Union and relevant regional and international organisations
to take appropriate measures''.
''The Group expresses serious concerns over information relating to the illicit
trafficking and circulation of arms in Guinea, requests ECOWAS to implement the
relevant provisions of the Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, and recom
mends to the International Community to impose total embargo on arms
meant for Guinea,'' the communique said.
It reminded the Guinean authorities of their obligation to ''protect the civilia
n population, including political leaders, leaders of labour unions and civil so
c
iety as well as
foreigners residing in Guinea, especially members of the Diplomatic and Consular
Corps, who are guests of the country''.
The meeting, the first ever to be hosted by ECOWAS, was called to deliberate on
the worsening political, human rights and security situation in the resource-ric
h
West African state.
Last week, ECOWAS Chairman President Umaru Yar'Adua of Nigeria appointed Burkina
Faso President Blaise Compaore as the Facilitator on the Guinean crisis.
ECOWAS leaders are billed to hold an extra-ordinary summit in Abuja later this w
eek on the situations in Guinea as well as Niger.
Members of the ICG-G include AU, ECOWAS, UN, European Union, Mano River Union, C
EN-SAD,Libya (non-permanent member of the UN Security Council),Nigeria, Organisa
t
ion of Islamic Conference, Germany, Spain, Japan and four of the five permanent
m
embers of the UN Security Council (US, France, UK, Russia).
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| Abuja - 12/10/2009 |
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