By Mike Lewis, Amnesty Interntional’s Military Security Police / Control Arms Researcher
During November and December 2009, Amnesty International researchers travelled to Conakry in Guinea. We went to document one of West Africa’s most serious episodes of violence and human rights abuse in recent years: the ‘Bloody Monday’ massacre on 28th September 2009, when Guinean security forces opened fire with tear gas and live ammunition at protestors trapped in Conakry’s stadium, killing over 150 people and publicly raping more than 40 women.
We gathered dozens of interviews with victims, eyewitnesses, medical staff, government officials and military personnel. We obtained film and photographs of the events. And we cross-checked these against hospital records, confidential military documents, physical evidence, and communication with private security companies around the world.
One of our most disturbing findings was that the supplies of ammunition, tear gas, military vehicles and other equipment used on ‘Bloody Monday’ had been authorised in recent years by governments around the world – including from France – despite the Guinean security forces’ decade-long record of violent repression using these kinds of weapons.
Yesterday, the French government issued a bald rejection of Amnesty International’s report, claiming that we misrepresented some of the facts regarding France’s provision of equipment and training. In doing so, however, the French government has unfortunately misrepresented Amnesty International’s own report, and ignored a number of our substantive concerns to help protect human rights in Guinea. We have rebutted each of France’s accusations in a detailed public statement.
But beyond this debate lies a larger point, which we regret France’s statement fails to address. The events of 28th September 2009 were made partly possible by states’ persistent failure to adequately assess the risk that the weapons they were exporting to Guinea would be used in repression and killings – despite the clear evidence of these forces’ human rights records, repeatedly and publicly documented by Amnesty International and others for a decade or more.
In some cases, exports were made without public or parliamentary oversight. We learned from the French government themselves, for example, that they had authorised the supply of tear gas grenades to Guinea’s gendarmerie and police 13 times between 2004 and 2008 – but under a licensing regime that did not have to be reported to France’s parliament and public, unlike most other French exports of arms and security equipment. In 2007, Guinea’s security forces killed over 130 people in a month of violence which included firing tear gas grenades inside Conakry’s main hospital. French exports continued to be authorised. On 28th September 2009, using French-made tear gas launchers, the gendarmerie fired volleys of tear gas against the trapped crowd, causing a stampede that was followed by live fire.
Amnesty International acknowledges France’s calls, alongside other states, for a peaceful and democratic transition in Guinea. We also welcome France’s support for the negotiation of an international Arms Trade Treaty, an instrument with the potential to help stop irresponsible flows of weapons and equipment which contribute to massacres like ‘Bloody Monday’. Yet just last week France announced that it was resuming military cooperation with Guinea – despite the fact that those within the security forces responsible for some of the most serious crimes under international law have yet to be brought to justice. France, and other states, must not repeat the same mistakes that made ‘Bloody Monday’ possible.
Isn’t it paradoxal that those who preach at each international summit for peace in the world, are those perpetuating the havoc of war and illitrate distribution of weapons.I, as a french citizen can not deny the fact that our government are behind the ill-state of Africa as a whole.If we are to come down to the present state of Guinea,I am not surprised to know that there is a weapon-commercial link between both countries.The French government is just a mirror to the many other governments of so-called industralized countries,that give immunitions to hungry soldiers and state forces in Africa to use on ciitizens who are tired of been pushed up and down like goats. Amnesty international is trying it’s best to help the troden and oppressed but we all know that nothing much would change as far as the rich countries continue to put money first before conscience and even life.
France has reached a crossroads either the France of the 1789 Revolution and storming of the Bastille, “Liberté, égalité et fraternité” or a post-Imperialist neo-colonialist state, when will it demand that its own culture sprout up as “Liberté, Ègalité et Fraternité” IN GUINEA! Now! In the 21st Century!
This is a horrifying event but its something that needs to be told. This is unfortunate and who is really to blame here for what happend? France is responsible for some of this but the guinea government allowed this tragedy to happen — its a collaboration of misjudgement at the expense of the people. Amnesty International is right to look into this. This kind of ill treatment from one human being to another is unthinkable.