Guinea: Election Postponement Sparks Protests

After DR Congo and Burundi, Guinea is now experiencing protests sparked by questionable presidential decisions. In the capital Conakry, there have been pitched battles between opposition supporters and security forces.

Barricades block off entire streets, stones fly through the air, car tires burn in the streets of Guinea's capital Conakry. For the second day in a row, opposition supporters and security forces have joined battle in the West African nation. The demonstrators are calling for President Alpha Conde to resign. The police response is to fire teargas into the crowd.

Opposition sources said on Wednesday (15.04.2015) three people had been killed and 50 wounded, 12 from gunfire. The government has confirmed the death of a young girl "after a fall" but denied the police shot at protesters. In a statement it accused the opposition of seeking to incite "chaos and violence."

Earlier, government spokesman Albert Damantang Camara told DW one man had been killed, however "it has not been confirmed that he was shot during the demonstration. The corpse arrived at the hospital late at night, thirteen hours after the demonstration." Camara said an investigation was underway to ascertain the origin of the fatal shots.