2023-05-03 16:15:06
The inhabitants of the village of Saörö, located 15 km from the capital of the sub-prefecture of Diécké and 50 km from the prefecture of Yomou, do not budge against what they call the expropriation of their land by former President Alpha Condé to donate it to the Guinean Oil Palm and Rubber Company (SOGUIPAH). They continue to claim the 1,800 hectares “expropriated” or their compensation, after unprecedented violence recorded in Saörö in 2011. In an interview with the correspondent of Guineematin.com in the Forest, Narcisse Kpoghomou, president of the Association of victims , challenged the Head of State, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya on this ongoing situation.
This is a story that dates from September 22, 2011 in Saörö. Narcisse Kpoghomou, president of the Association of Victims of Saörö, returned to what happened at the time.
“It was when SOGUIPAH came to Saörö in 1988, the white guy who came to our house said he wanted land from Saörö to make an industrial plantation. The village said, we cannot refuse the government, but the government had taken a large part of our land to make a classified forest. But when you take it now, where do we go? That’s why the white man said all along the valley of your river there, we’ll arrange that so that you can find food there. The village said okay, if you’re ready and you move in, we’ll give you the game. At the time of General Lansana Conté, we did everything, they said they were going to do it, but they refused to make it happen. When they didn’t, they went back. There were no problems at that time. Dadis Camara came, there were no problems as well as Sékouba Konaté. But when Alpha Condé came, now they came by force to say that there is no question of arranging a part for you. You are about to go. It is the government that needs the land. In June 2011, they started intimidating people. They took three of our citizens and put them in jail. A month later, the judge did not find any problems, they were released. Now, on September 22, 2011, we sent a whole military arsenal from N’Zérékoré. Former governor Mohamed Ismaël Traoré and the prefect of Yomou, Jean Smith Sandy, removed from office the former district president who had finally received a bullet in his foot. They shot André and arrested 57 people in this village. They were imprisoned without compensation. While they were in prison, the State sent machines to destroy the fields of these poor people detained at the central house of N’Zérékoré. Even the maturing rice fields have not escaped. They put bulldozers in these fields. And anyone who opposed, we took them to put in prison, ”explained Narcisse Kpoghomou.
Following this military intervention, the difficulties multiplied on the spot to the great displeasure of the citizens. Narcisse Kpoghomou tells. “Since this atrocity on the peaceful populations, we have suffered a lot in this village. Come to us today in Saörö, all the women are raped in the open in the fields by the guards of these industrial plantations. The woman who refuses to be raped in the field, we take her, we bring her to Yomou in prison. When you take a palm nut, it’s over for you. If you are a woman, you will be raped and if you refuse, you will be called a thief and sent to Yomou prison. How can we understand? The land that our ancestors bequeathed to us, we suffer for it. Our children do not go to school. We are there, as if we are not Guineans. We suffer too much. So if the government can help us… We just want our land. If the government does not give it to us, we only have to compensate us at least”, pleads Narcisse Kpoghomou.
After 12 years of struggle, the victims challenge the President of the Transition, Colonel Doumbouya, and the Minister of Justice, to turn the compass of justice towards their locality. “Since September 22, 2011, we have been there, we have not been compensated; but they took the land, they worked by force without giving a penny to the landowners. As justice is the compass of the transition, this is why we come to the government and we ask all NGOs, international and national Human Rights to accompany us before the President, before the Minister of Justice to let justice be done in this problem”, requested the president of the Association of the victims of Saörö.
Of the 115 victims of this case, 13 people, including 4 women, lost their lives without benefiting from justice in this case, which is now before the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
From N’Zerekoré, Forum Gbouo Lamah for Guineematin.com
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