Guinean authorities on Tuesday detained former junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara.
He was detained in the afternoon, alongside two former associates – Colonel Moussa Tiégboro Camara and Claude Coplan Pivi, ManoReporters learnt.
Dadis led the 2008 coup in Guinea in the wake of the death of longtime leader Lansana Conteh. The former strongman, who was himself ousted 12 months later after a failed attempt on his life, has since been declared wanted for crimes allegedly committed by his regime in connection to a 2009 massacre of unarmed civilians.
Dadis became Guinea’s fourth head of state since independence when he took power following the death of Conteh, who had led the country with iron fist for 24 years.
On 3rd December, 2009, an aide to Dadis shot him in the head, leading to his evacuation to Morocco, where he was treated. He was replaced by his former Number 2, Sekouba Conate.
Dadis moved to Burkina Faso after his treatment, where he lived in exile.
Although his short-lived administration had promised to hand over power to a civilian administration, it soon became clear that he had wanted to stay in power by contesting the planned election.
At a protest against that move in Conakry on September 28, 2009, security forced opened fire on unarmed civilians on killing dozens of them. There were also allegations of rape.
One of the problems rights groups had with former President Alpha Conde was his supposed reluctance to bring to justice those behind those killings.
The current junta of Col. Mamady Doumbouya also came under pressure to bring to justice those responsible.
Dadis and his co-accused detained on Tuesday were transported to the central prison in Conakry by a convoy under a heavy military escort, videos shared by the Guinean media show. Sources said it followed their brief interrogation by prosecutors.
They are expected to appear in court on Wednesday, September 28. They will be the first to appear before the court on the much-awaited trial of the matter also known as the September 28 Stadium Massacre.
The former head of state first visited Guinea in December 2021, for the first time since his ouster, after the overthrow of Conde. He said back then that he supported calls for justice.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday that they were detained in line with the law that requires that an accused person must spend at least a day in detention prior to commencement of their trial.
