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