Up to 11 people were killed in clashes in Guinea’s capital on Monday between police and protesters supporting a general strike aimed at ousting President Lansana Conte, a hospital doctor said.
”There are at least 100 injured. The number of dead can be estimated at 11, but we have to finalise the count … the injured are still coming in,” a doctor at the Donka Hospital in Conakry, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
A police source said elite army units, including members of the presidential guard wearing red berets, fired into the air to disperse protesters trying to march towards the city centre.
”We’ve managed to disperse them,” the source said, without mentioning casualties.
The clashes in Conakry came on the 13th day of a general strike launched by union leaders who say Conte, a reclusive diabetic in his 70s, is unfit to rule and should step aside.
The stoppage turned violent last week and before Monday’s deaths — at least eight people had already been killed in clashes across the West African country. — Reuters