AFRICA/GUINEA - Twenty people in custody for cocaine trafficking, including high-ranking officials of the past regime

Conakry (Agenzia Fides) – Is there a real desire to fight drug trafficking or is this a way to eliminate political adversaries and satisfy the international community at the same time? This is the question begin posed by international commentators on the eve of the trial of some twenty people accused of carrying out cocaine trafficking in the Republic of Guinea (Guinea Conakry).
Since December 2008, Guinea has been under the leadership of a military regime (the National Council for Democracy and Development – CNDD), which has taken over in the wake of the death of President Lansana Conte. The international community, however, has denounced the coups and from there, the new regime has tried to break the diplomatic ice by presenting itself as a power capable of fighting corruption and cocaine trafficking. Guinea, like other Western African nations, has become a stop-over point for cocaine traveling from Latin America to Europe. The new strongman in the country, Captain Moussa Camara, has begun a moralization campaign in the public sphere, leading to the arrest of various high-ranking officials from the regime of the deceased President, including President Conte's son and other high-ranking officials of the Army and Navy.
These people, prior to their submission to a regular court process, have made a confession on national television, under the censure of the Secretary of State in charge of fighting corruption and drug trafficking. The citizens of Guinea have shown mixed feelings in response to the public penalty assigned to the former leaders of the old regime: on the one hand, they cannot hide their joy for the confession of the crimes committed, but on the other, they are wondering if this unorthodox procedure is all part of a clash of powers on a State level. The military regime could be using the drug implications to eliminate the “old guard” of the past regime and promote their own men to key places in the government. Those who present doubts in this respects affirm that among those arrested, there are none of the figures known for their compromises on drug-trafficking, also members of the military regime.
The process, which was due to begin this week, includes some twenty individuals, among which are a dozen foreigners (8 Nigerians, a Ghanan, and an Israeli). Among the indicted Guineans are Diarra Camara, former Chief of Staff, and his son, Lieutenant Colonel Amara Camara, and former Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Aly Daffe. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 15/6/2009)