Violent clashes between football fans in N’Zerekore, Guinea’s second-largest city, on Sunday, resulted in dozens of deaths, according to hospital sources who spoke to AFP.
According to AFP, one doctor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described the scene as one of mass devastation, “There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital. Others are lying on the floor in the hallways. The morgue is full.” The doctor estimated that “around 100 dead” had been brought in, while another added that there were “dozens of dead.”
Social media videos, which AFP could not independently verify, depicted chaotic scenes outside the stadium, with several bodies scattered on the ground.
Additionally, witnesses reported that angry demonstrators set fire to and vandalized the N’Zerekore police station.
A witness recounted how the violence erupted, saying, “It all started with a contested decision by the referee. Then fans invaded the pitch.” Local reports revealed that the match was part of a tournament organized to honor Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who has held power since a coup in 2021.
These types of tournaments have become common in the country as Doumbouya seeks to strengthen his political position ahead of Guinea’s upcoming presidential elections.
Doumbouya, who overthrew President Alpha Conde in September 2021, had initially promised to return power to a civilian government by the end of 2024, but he has since indicated that he will not keep this pledge.
After promoting himself to lieutenant general in January and general in November, Doumbouya has continued a crackdown on dissent, with many opposition figures either arrested, exiled, or brought to trial.
While a “transitional charter” created by the junta prohibits its members from running for election, recent support for Doumbouya’s candidacy in the upcoming election has surfaced.
Authorities have also suggested that elections to restore constitutional order may occur in 2025.
Guinea, despite its abundant natural resources, remains a poor country and has been under authoritarian rule for decades.
N’Zerekore, located in the southeastern part of the country, is home to around 200,000 people.
The violence that unfolded on Sunday is the latest in a series of upheavals in West Africa, where military leaders, including Doumbouya, have gained power in recent years.
