- Title: GUINEA: Junta chief says to reform army, seeks help
- Date: 13th May 2009
- Summary: DUBREKA, GUINEA (MAY 9, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAPTAIN MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA, CHIEF OF THE JUNTA, BEING WELCOMED BY PEOPLE IN STREET CONAKRY, GUINEA (MAY 10, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF STATE TELEVISION/CAPTAIN MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA, CHIEF OF THE JUNTA GETTING INTO HIS CAR CAMERAMAN FILMING DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) CPT. MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA, JUNTA LEADER, SAYING: "Since we took power, we are probably in our 5th month, there are no funds, not a single cent, no international institution has talked about the insecurity, we have not received a cent from the international community to rebuild the camps, to helps us solve all these problems we have." MILITARY OFFICIALS AT NEWS CONFERENCE CAMARA SPEAKING TO NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) GEN. SEKOUBA KONATE, GUINEA'S NATIONAL DEFENCE MINISTER, SAYING: "Those were the good times of the revolution. Neighbourhoods were organised, people were organised, even the schools, everything was in order. So the population can organise themselves again. They can ask us to send more soldiers if things get out of hand. Because defending our country is the duty of all citizens." CONAKRY, GUINEA (MAY 11, 2009) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING IN MADINA MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (French) ADJA BARRY, TRADER, SAYING: "We want to be guaranteed that we will never see this again in Madina. We want security for Madina, if there is no security, it's not good. Because today it's here and tomorrow it will be somewhere else, we just don't know." VARIOUS OF MEN CARRYING BARRELS IN MARKET AREA
- Embargoed: 28th May 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Guinea
- Country: Guinea
- Topics: Defence / Military
- Reuters ID: LVA9PTU8XRXF5BHKO6M6IU4ZEUIL
- Story Text: Guinea's military leader pledges to reform the armed forces, seen as a major cause of insecurity in the poor West African country.
==CORRECTION to Paragraph 11 in the story. The speaker, Guinea's National Defence Minister Gen. Sekouba Konate, refers to the days under the dictatorship of late President Sekou Toure, and not the days following the death of President Lansana Conte, as previously mentioned in the script.=== Guinea's military leader said on Sunday (May 10) he would reform the armed forces, seen as a major cause of insecurity in the poor West African country.
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara took power in the world's biggest bauxite exporter in a bloodless coup last December, but in April his authority was challenged by a group of soldiers who were later arrested on suspicion of plotting to overthrow him.
He is battling to maintain stability in the face of rising antipathy toward the army.
Guinean security forces fired on rioters in the capital Conakry on Saturday (May 9), wounding at least two people, in the first major public disorder since the military junta seized power in December, a police source said.
A police station and several police vehicles were attacked in the riot which was sparked by an armed robbery on a local shop at the city's Madina market, by thieves dressed in military uniform, a senior police official who declined to be identified told Reuters.
Amadou Oury Barry, a trader at the Madina market, witnessed the attacks.
"As you noticed, the shops in Madina are closed, because on Friday armed men came and ransacked our shops. This is the third shop. They took the guards and threatened to kill them if they did anything. They destroyed the first shop, and they found more than 100 million Guinean francs (5.2 million US dollars) and 25 millions CFA Francs (2 million US dollars). They also destroyed a second shop as well, where they took money and a safe," said Barry.
Camara blamed neglected, discontent troops for April's thwarted attempt to oust him, and called for outside help with the planned reform.
"Since we took power, we are probably in our 5th month, there are no funds, not a single cent, no international institution has talked about the insecurity, we have not received a cent from the international community to rebuild the camps, to helps us solve all these problems we have," said Camara.
International bodies condemned the military takeover that filled the power vacuum left when long-standing President Lansana Conte died, though diplomats say they will support Camara on condition he sticks to his timetable to hold elections in December, and to his pledge not to stand in the vote.
General Sekouba Konate, Guinea's National Defence Minister, said the days under the dictatorship of late President Sekou Toure proved to benefit the country.
"Those were the good times of the revolution. Neighbourhoods were organised, people were organised, even the schools, everything was in order.
So the population can organise themselves again. They can ask us to send more soldiers if things get out of hand. Because defending our country is the duty of all citizens," said Konate.
Popular anger at Camara's junta has risen after reports of human rights abuses by Guinean soldiers, including accusations of robbery, extortion and rape by witnesses cited in a Human Rights Watch report last month.
"We want to be guaranteed that we will never see this again in Madina. We want security for Madina, if there is no security, it's not good.
Because today it's here and tomorrow it will be somewhere else, we just don't know," said Adja Barry, a trader at the Madina market.
Analysts say stability could ultimately hinge on Camara keeping his promise to hold elections in December. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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