Women's Human Rights Groups Demand Probe Into Killings, Rape Of Women In Guinea

Via AllAfrica:

More condemnations at the weekend, greeted the recent killing and alleged rape of women by the military in Conakry stadium, Guinea, with a call for an international commission of inquiry to probe the immediate and remote causes of the protest, following allegations that the head of the military junta, Captain Moussa Dais Camara, was planning to contest the presidential election in the country, scheduled for January, 2010.

The protest, which followed repeated assurances by Camara that he would organise the presidential elections, without participating in it, however, led to the condemnation of the actions of the military by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Lagos, and Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, in the wake of the protest by Guinean nationals.

In a statement jointly signed by the Executive Director of WARDC, Abiola Afolabi-Akiyode and JDPC Director, Rev. Fr Patrick Ngoyi, “demanded that the capital city and the entire country be demilitarized for peace to reign.”

“We believe that the military junta cannot investigate the murders carried out by his men without being partial. It is unfortunate that this repressive act took place at a time when the international community, human rights institutions and government institutions in Africa are trying to eliminate all forms of discriminations against women and encourage their political participation using instruments such as the Campaign against all Forms of Discriminations Against Women (CEDAW), International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) among others,” the statement stressed.

The two groups further stated that “an international commission of enquiry be set up to examine the evidence of crimes against humanity and other violation of international human laws including rape and murder as well as bringing the perpetrators of the attack on civilians, including sexual violence against women, to justice in trial that meets international standards of fairness.”

The statement recalled that “the Guinean Organisation for Defence of Human Rights indicated that about 150 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded with scores of women beaten and raped.”

According to the statement, “the conscious rape of women is not only to dehumanize but to eliminate, punish, control, instill fear and dissuade them from taking part in any form of political participation. Guinea’s mineral-rich soil had been plundered by two consecutive dictatorship before Camara seized control a day after President Lasana Conte, who had ruled for nearly a quarter-contury, died December 22, 2008.”

While commiserating with the people of Guinea over the act, the groups demanded “that Guinea authority call to order security forces brazen and excessive use of force against peaceful pro-democracy protesters.”