PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF POST-SEPTEMBER 28 ATTACKS

S E C R E T CONAKRY 000645 SIPDIS SENSITIVE C O R R E C T E D COPY - RENUMBER PARA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2019 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC GV SUBJECT: PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF POST-SEPTEMBER 28 ATTACKS Classified By: ECONOFF BRIANA WARNER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (S) A close Embassy contact visited EconOff at her house October 8 to discuss what he described as ethnically-based violence that took place on Tuesday, September 29 in Conakry. Source also provided photographic evidence of the violence, and Embassy is in possession of these photographs. Source is a Columbia University graduate and a key member of Guinea Alumina's executive staff, as well as Les Forces Vives. ¶2. (S) Source told EconOff that several red berets and Forestiere militia groups roamed the streets of Conakry the day after the September 28 massacre to search for Peuhl (Fulani) youth and "punish" them. He said that at least twenty cars were identified by his friend (the photographer) taking Peuhl youth from their houses and loading them into small car trunks and large truck beds. ¶3. (S) One photograph shows a large black luxury SUV, which the source says was driven by Claude Pivi. The SUV appears to have been followed by several military vehicles and one small sedan full of red berets and at least one Forestiere militia member. The next photograph shows a woman, whom Source identifies as a Forestiere, leading the military group to private residences. Source says that the woman in the pictures lives in the neighborhood, and was identifying residences of Peuhl youth for the Red Berets. ¶4. (S) The next set of pictures shows several youth being dragged into the street, in broad daylight, and subsequently shoved into the trunk of the sedan that was already full with at least five other young men. Others were pushed into the back of a military vehicle, which were also full of other unidentified men. The source said that all of the people being placed into the vehicles were Peuhl. ¶5. (S) The next set of pictures shows a young man in an orange shirt being dragged through the street and beaten by soldiers. The last two photographs show an unidentified man in military fatigues raising a long knife into the air and stabbing the young man in the orange shirt, presumably to death. The cars then drove away and left the body of the young man in the middle of the street in a pool of blood. ¶6. (S) Source then asked EconOff what the USG response would be if the opposition decided to arm itself and fight the CNDD. He said that he now feels that peaceful protest against the CNDD may be impossible. He then admitted that the opposition is not currently planning on taking up arms against the government, but that some youth groups are discussing the possibilty as an option of last resort. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (S) Although Embassy has heard that several people were kidnapped and killed in the days following September 28, this is among the first photographic evidence of such attacks. Source was adamant that these attacks were ethnically based. He also noted that none of the young men in the pictures who were taken from their homes have returned home. BROKENSHIRE