Guinea – 28 September 2009 massacre: « Toumba » Diakité transferred from Dakar to Conakry

13/03/2017
Press release
Guinea - Conakry
en fr
AFP

Conakry-Paris – The extradition procedure of Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, known as “Toumba”, which began when he was arrested in Dakar on 16 December 2016 finally resulted in his transfer to Conakry prison facility on 12 March 2017. The extradition from Senegal to Guinea of "Toumba", who had been on the run for 7 years, is a powerful signal in favour of the fight against impunity in West Africa and testifies of the determination of the Guinean government to hold the 28 September trial as promised.

"The extradition of Toumba to Guinea and his incarceration at the Conakry prison facility demonstrate to the victims that the Guinean justice is willing to tackle impunity in Guinea and to organize the credible trial that we have been awaiting for 7 years. Our hope now is that the trial begins before the next anniversary of the massacre.”

Asmaou Diallo, president of AVIPA, the Association of victims of the 28 September massacre

Our organisations welcome the fact that specific measures have been taken at the Conakry prison facility to ensure his security in detention and call upon the authorities to fully guarantee his security.

Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité should be indicted and questioned by the panel of investigating judges in the coming days. Once this is done, it is essential that the investigation is concluded as soon as possible to enable the authorities to comply with their commitment to hold the trial in 2017.

"Toumba’s transfer from Senegal to Guinea is a real victory for our organisations and for the victims who have been seeking justice for more than 7 years. It is also an important step for subregional judicial cooperation. We congratulate Senegal and Guinea for making this transfer possible"

Dimitris Christopoulos, president of FIDH

The extradition of Captain Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité raises again the question of the presence for the September 28 trial of the former president, Moussa Dadis Camara, who led the coup. Still in exile in Burkina Faso, he is accused of ordering the massacre at the Conakry Stadium. The Government must now take all necessary measures to ensure his presence in Guinea among the defendants at the time of the trial opening. Furthermore, the Government must also ensure that other persons charged in this case, who still hold official positions cannot influence the course of the proceedings and should thus be put on administrative leave until the trial.

“In order to meet the announced deadlines, the political authorities must now devote themselves to the organisation of this trial, which will be complex and sensitive. To this end, it is imperative that the international community provide the necessary financial and technical support to the Government and contribute to the establishment of a compensation fund for victims.”

Abdoul Gadiry Diallo, president of OGDH

Context


On the run for 7 years after his assassination attempt assassination against former president who led the coup Moussa Dadis Camara, Captain Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité also known as "Toumba", was arrested in Dakar on 16 December 2016. Suspected of having played a key role during the massacre at the 28 September stadium, he was the subject of an international arrest warrant. Our organisations had brought to Guinean and Senegalese authorities’ attention the presence of Toumba in Senegal for several months. His extradition to Guinea confirms that a credible trial of those responsible for the massacre at the stadium on 28 September 2009 could open in Guinea in the coming months.

Press Contacts
Audrey Couprie (English, French, Spanish), Tel : +33 6 48 05 91 57 - acouprie@fidh.org
Samuel HANRYON (French, English), Tel : +33 6 72 28 42 94 - shanryon@fidh.org - https://twitter.com/Sam_hanryon

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