Football Match Turns Bloodbath - More Than 100 Feared Dead

SIBY JEYYA
Hospital reports say hundreds were murdered in fan confrontations during a devastating football match in N'Zérékoré, Guinea's second-largest city, on Sunday. A contentious referee judgment set off the violence, which spiraled out of control and overflowed the nearby hospital with bodies.
 
"There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital," an unidentified doctor who was there at the site said of the horrific aftermath. There are others in the corridors, lying on the floor. The mortuary is crowded.
 
He put the death toll at about 100, although another medical source said there were "dozens of dead."Unverified videos of panic with bodies on the ground close to the stadium are making the rounds on social media.

Angry Fans Turn Violent


Witnesses claimed that after a contentious referee call during the game, supporters stormed the field, sparking the violence. The chaos was exacerbated when protesters subsequently burned and vandalized the N'Zérékoré police station.
 
"It all began with a contentious referee ruling. Then, according to a witness, crowds flooded the field.
 
Honored Junta leader match
 
According to reports, the game was a component of a competition held in honor of Mamadi Doumbouya, the military commander of Guinea. Doumbouya has already positioned himself as president after seizing power in a coup in 2021.
 
As Doumbouya gets ready for a possible presidential run in the elections that are anticipated to take place next year, these competitions have grown more frequent. The junta leader has alluded to his ambivalence while vowing to reinstate civilian governance by the end of 2024.

After deposing previous President Alpha Condé, Doumbouya took control of the country and advanced through the military, most recently becoming an army general. With several opposition figures imprisoned or exiled, his government has come under fire for stifling dissent.
 
Doumbouya's followers have stated their support for him in the next presidential elections, even though a transitional charter prohibited junta members from seeking public office. elections to restore constitutional order are now scheduled for 2025, according to authorities.
 

Due to decades of authoritarian governance, guinea is still among the world's poorest countries despite having an abundance of natural resources. Along with his peers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Doumbouya is one of numerous military commanders who have taken control of West Africa since 2020.
 
 
 

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