Moussa Dadis Camara, Former Junta Head, Found and Returned to Jail After Apparent Jailbreak

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Guinea’s Ex-Junta Head Moussa Dadis Camara Back in Jail after Apparent Jailbreak

The dramatic manhunt in Guinea has finally come to an end as former junta chief, Moussa Dadis Camara, has been found and returned to prison following Saturday’s shocking jailbreak. Armed assailants stormed a Conakry prison, where Camara was being held, and forcibly took him, along with three other inmates identified as Captain Claude Pivi, Colonel Moussa Tiégboro Camara, and Captain Blaise Goumou. The identity and motives of the attackers remain unknown.

The city of Conakry was engulfed in chaos as a heavy barrage of gunfire was heard during the daring jailbreak. Reports suggest that Camara was taken away against his will, indicating a possible kidnapping rather than a deliberate release. However, authorities have not confirmed whether the quartet was freed or abducted.

Despite the incident, Guinean authorities have reassured citizens that the trial concerning the mass killing of civilian protesters 14 years ago will proceed as planned. The accused quartet is being tried for their alleged involvement in the September 2009 massacre of civilian demonstrators at a stadium in the Guinean capital. Back then, Camara served as the head of the military junta that ruled Guinea.

The latest reports indicate that Colonel Moussa Tiegboro Camara was the first to surrender among the escaped prisoners. In response to the security breach, heavily armed soldiers have been deployed in key areas, and the road leading to central Conakry has been barricaded.

In an effort to maintain calm, Justice Minister Albert Charles Wright took to social media, urging Guineans to remain patient and assuring them that justice will prevail despite the setback caused by the jailbreak. The trial, which began in September 2022, has captivated Guineans and the entire West African region. The accused, comprising mostly senior officials of the former junta, including Moussa Dadis Camara, were paraded in court. Their testimonies shed light on the gruesome incident in which more than 157 people lost their lives at the hands of security forces. Shockingly, witnesses also reported that 109 women were raped during the incident.

Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, also known as Toumba, and formerly Camara’s aide-de-camp, has blamed his former boss for the massacre. Diakité, who had been in exile in Burkina Faso before returning to Conakry for the trial, was dismayed to find himself placed under an arrest warrant. Camara vehemently denied all accusations brought against him by both Toumba Diakité and Captain Marcel Guilavogui during his court appearance. In front of Judge Ibrahima Sory II Tounkara, Camara claimed to be the victim of a plot orchestrated by former President Alpha Condé, General Sékouba Konaté, and their “protege” Toumba Diakité.

Captain Guilavogui, the first to appear among the accused, was notorious for his “memory lapses.” However, in a surprising turn of events last July, he decided to speak out, relieving his lawyer, Me David Béavogui, from the burden of defending him. Dadis Camara’s legal team took action against Captain Guilavogui, accusing him of attempted blackmail.

After a two-month hiatus, the trial resumed at the beginning of October, with the appearance of the civil parties. The trial’s commencement, one year after the overthrow of Alpha Condé by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, has been hailed as a significant step forward by human rights organizations.

The recent jailbreak and subsequent recapture of Moussa Dadis Camara have once again brought the trial into the spotlight. As the proceedings continue, the people of Guinea and the international community eagerly await justice for the victims of the 2009 massacre..