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In Guinea, the trial on the violence committed on September 28, 2009 at the Conakry stadium opens today. That day, an opposition demonstration against a candidacy of the head of the junta at the time, Moussa Dadis Camara, was bloodily repressed. A UN investigation counted at least 156 people killed, 109 women raped and many injured. Thirteen years after the tragedy, the opening of this trial arouses hope for the victims.
With our special correspondent in Conakry, Bineta Diagne
On September 28, 2009, Mariétou thought of demonstrating peacefully to defend democracy. But quickly, this political leader found herself, like many others, trapped inside the stadium. She was raped there, in public, by soldiers. Beyond the physical and psychological shock, this middle-aged woman then had to come up against the rejection of those close to her.
« At the stadium, I was raped. I was beaten. I have serious wounds on my forehead, I now have scars. When I got home, my husband rejected me. He left me with my children “, she confides.
Thirteen years later, Mariétou is impatient to see her executioners answer for their actions in court. “ If the trial starts, I would feel relieved. It is a liberation. If I see the one who raped me, I would be comfortable. I would have obtained justice and truth. »
They took my virginity. After that, I was throwing up, I had headaches. When it didn’t pass, I was taken to the hospital and the doctors discovered that I was pregnant.
Another woman testifies to the rape she suffered
Oumar Diallo is a driver. He was beaten in both forearms. Impossible for him to go back to work. For him, this trial is a beacon of hope. ” It was a red beret who hit me on the head with a gun. I have all my evidence, a medical certificate, I have photos of my hands in plaster, next to the victims lying in the room. »
Hundreds of victims have reported themselves to human rights organizations. ” At the time, the Minister of Justice had the firm will to initiate this trial, but there was never the support and the political will of Mr. Alpha Condé to organize it because he left on the principle that this would destabilize his regime, recalls Mamadou Aliou Barry, director of the center for analysis and strategic studies. When he took power in 2010, he kept all those named in the events of September 28 in the same responsibilities. »
About thirty victims, presented as direct witnesses of the crimes committed, should testify during this trial. These people hope to benefit from protective measures to avoid any pressure in the weeks to come.