Guinea: One killed in pre-election violence

Clashes broke out on Thursday afternoon between supporters of Conde – a few of them wearing his campaign colour yellow, despite a presidential order to avoid any provocation ahead of the elections – and Diallo’s green-and-white clad backers.

Eighteen of the injured were members of the armed forces, state television said.

Guinea’s opposition candidates said Tuesday they would participate in the first round of the October 11 presidential election, while cautioning that “dysfunctional” aspects of the voting process must be addressed.

“They attacked us this morning, waking us up with volleys of stones”. There was no immediate comment from the security forces.

Conde is the favourite to win a second term after his election in 2010 ended two years of brutal military rule.

Despite being rich in bauxite, the ore used to produce aluminium, the country is one of the world’s poorest and was blindsided by a severe outbreak of Ebola, which began in the country’s southern forests in December 2013 and then spread to neighbouring countries.

The head of the EU’s mission to observe the vote, Frank Engel, said he hoped the vote would be free and fair during a visit to N’Zerekore, where at least one person was killed and 80 wounded in clashes this week.

Burned shops and cars dotted one Conakry thoroughfare, and Conde supporters sang songs on street corners.

“We have seen since yesterday a deterioration in the security situation”, United Nations special representative for West Africa Mohamed Ibn Chambas told a press conference Friday, issuing a call for calm a day after deadly clashes in the capital Conakry and in the east.