AFRICA/GUINEA - Narcotics behind attack on Guinea's strong man?

Conakry (Agenzia Fides) - "The circumstances that led Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité to shoot Dadis Moussa Camara, are not clear. Why did the aide of the head of the military junta try to kill him? In Guinea there is a possibility that behind it all are the interests of drug traffickers who have been affected by the anti-drug policy of the military junta,” Fides learned from a source of the Church in Guinea, which for security reasons wishes to remain anonymous.
"Camara can be criticized for many actions, but we must admit that he has promoted vigorous action to combat criminal organizations that use Guinea as a stopover for South American cocaine destined for European markets. This campaign has touched very strong interests and some people may have decided to present a complaint, perhaps by using an officer who felt threatened by the UN investigation into the massacre of demonstrators on September 28," Fides sources say.
According to a spokesman of the military junta, known as the National Council for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD), the attempt to assassinate the President, carried out by Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, known as "Toumba," was a real coup attempt. According to the official story, on December 3, "Toumba" set a trap for Camara, inviting him to come to the military base of Koundara to discuss his refusal to meet with the UN committee that is investigating the events of September 28 (see Fides 5/12/2009). In fact, according to a military spokesman, the purpose of the invitation was to kill the President. "Toumba" himself fired several pistol shots, wounding Camara in the head and back. A bodyguard and the driver shielded him with their bodies, and were killed. The violent shootout between the bodyguards of the President and "Toumba's” men resulted in more victims, but enabled the President's men to get him to a military hospital. Given the severity of the injuries, Camara was transported on a plane made available by the President of Burkina Faso (Guinean mediator in the crisis) to a Moroccan military hospital. Camara was operated on and his conditions are improving, official sources have said. The Minister of Defense, Sékouba Konate, has assumed interim presidency.
"The reconstruction of the facts is not incompatible with the possibility that unidentified commanders had armed Toumba and at the same time it demonstrates the impulsiveness of Camara, who moved without an adequate escort to caution his subject, something unusual for a Head of State. His staff themselves has complained to Camara for his recklessness," sources told Fides. "I do not think however that the junta has been split into warring factions, otherwise we would see the capital Conakry prey to incursions by marauding groups of soldiers. The situation is calm, although controls and checkpoints were strengthened,” concludes our source. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 7/12/2009)