Guinea president shot by guard, status unsure

A renegade faction of Guinea’s presidential guard opened fire Thursday on the African country’s leader, a government spokesman said, amid rumors of deep divisions within the army. It was not immediately clear if he was wounded.

President Moussa “Dadis” Camara, who grabbed power in a military-led coup 11 months ago, had left the main military barracks where he lives, and had gone to a military camp in downtown Conakry where the shooting occurred, Communication
Minister Idrissa Cherif said.

He declined to say if the 45-year-old president had been wounded.

“The president of the republic is still the president of the republic and he is in good health,” Cherif said as military helicopters and sporadic shooting could be heard in the background.

The president was shot at by his aide-de-camp Abubakar “Toumba” Diakite, the commander of the presidential guard as well as by Toumba’s men, Cherif said. He said Toumba and his men had fled and the country’s security forces have launched a nationwide manhunt. State TV released a communique confirming that Toumba is being pursued.

The incident underscores the deep rifts inside the military clique that grabbed control of the nation of 10 million on Africa’s western coast just 11 months ago. Camara had
initially promised to quickly organize elections, but then reversed course and began hinting that he planned to run for office, prompting a massive protest Sept. 28.

Toumba is accused of having led the presidential guard that opened fire on the peaceful protesters that had gathered inside the capital’s national stadium.

At least 157 people were killed and dozens of women were raped by soldiers in broad daylight. Many were kidnapped and driven away in military trucks to private villas where they were drugged and gang raped over the course of days, according to three
survivors as well as several human rights groups.