A Guinean opponent, in detention since September in Conakry, died during the night of Wednesday 16 to Thursday 17 December. Roger Bamba, in his forties, was a member of the communication cell and youth leader of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), the main opposition party led by Cellou Dalein Diallo. He died a few hours after being transferred to the capital’s hospital. He had been arrested after exchanging messages about the political situation in the country, according to his wife, who accuses the authorities of abuse and state crime.
He misses a friend and mourns “a fighter for democracy in the country”. Diabaty Doré, chairman of the opposition party RPR and member of the coalition that supported Cellou Dalein Diallo during the presidential election, was close to Roger Bamba. He denounced his conditions of detention:
“He was in 7m² where there were nine people. With nine people, how can you sleep? How do you go to bed? Conditions are very disastrous in the Republic of Guinea. And what are they blaming us for? Nobody knows! He was arrested just for his convictions!’’
On the political aspect, the spokesman of the Ministry of Justice, Sékou Keita, does not comment. But he assures that the judicial procedure has been respected, and he rejects the accusations of ill-treatment. According to him, Roger Bamba died of cirrhosis of the liver:
“Of course, we can’t congratulate ourselves on the conditions of detention. But Mr. Roger Bamba fulfilled the conditions of detention that can be described as acceptable today. We guarantee an autopsy if requested by the family or relatives to clarify this. We are not blaming ourselves for anything’’
In a statement, the United States urged the government to respect the rule of law and ensure that detainees receive fair trials.
Five opposition figures, including four members of the UFDG, have been in detention since November in Guinea, accused by the authorities of involvement in the violence around the presidential election. Alpha Condé’s candidacy for a third term in office has led to months of harshly repressed demonstrations and violence that have left dozens of civilians dead over the past year and in the days following the election.