Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Conakry (Agenzia Fides) – The situation is tense in the Republic of Guinea, where it was finally decided that November 7th would be Election Day after repeated delays in the presidential election run-off (see Fides 23/10/2010).
According to local and international press reports, thousands of people belonging to the Peul ethnic group were forced to flee their homes due to clashes with the Malinke peoples. In particular, about 2,000 Peul entered into towns south of the city of Kankan (located 500 km north of the capital Conakry). Some of them have wounds from a sharp weapon.
The political confrontation between the two candidates, Cellou Dalein Diallo (which is a Peul) and Alpha Condé (Malinke) is therefore likely to trigger tensions and violence on ethnic grounds. To try to calm things down, Diallo and Conde had decided to tour the country together, but supporters of Condé prevented him from going. "The residence of Condé was literally locked with a padlock by hundreds of young supporters, preventing the presidential candidate from coming out," Fides was told by local sources, who asked not be named for security reasons.
"The two candidates deny the fact that the ethnic dimension has played a role," our sources added. "The good news is that all the religious leaders of the country are collaborating to ease the tension. Every week we hold moments of prayer, even interreligious services, praying for peace," concludes the sources of Fides. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 29/10/2010)
