Stabbed in broad daylight by a soldier, proof in photos

These photos show a Guinean soldier stabbing a supposed protestor in broad daylight. The scenes are even more brutal than those which were revealed the day after the September 28 massacre in Conakry, something which junta chief Moussa Dadis Camara refuses to accept responsibility for, saying that he was "overwhelmed" by his army.

The following account comes from the person who took the photos. His story has been verified by one of our Observers, Kouyaté, who went to the spot where the stabbing took place. He spoke to another eyewitness, who gave the same story. 

UPDATE (16.10.09 - 11am Paris time): the Red Cross confirms having had picked up a man with knife injuries on 29 September in the Bambeto district. The victim was in a critical condition, but still alive on arrival at Donka hospital. We will further update this post if we receive more information.   

“He came up to the guy on the floor and stabbed him three times”

Philippe took the photos from a building nearby and sent them to FRANCE 24.

A car pulled up. It must have been around half past three in the afternoon. Then a second car arrived, then a third. In that one, a Mitsubishi Pajero, there were eight youths who had been arrested by the police.

The soldiers got out of the vehicles and started chasing local residents [the scene takes place in Conakry, between the Bambeto and Cosa districts, where the people are majority Peul origin - Guinea's biggest ethnic group. Junta chief Moussa Dadis Camara belongs to the minority ethnic group ‘Guerzé', also known as the forestiers (or woodsmen)].

One of the youths in the back of the Pajero took the chance to run off. But a soldier shot at him and he collapsed. The soldiers dragged him back to the car. 

There then followed a discussion between the soldiers. Knowing he was going to die, should they leave him there or take him along with them?  

Eventually they drove off. Two soldiers remained, along with the guy who was bleeding to death on the ground. One of the soldiers who stayed had a knife. He came up to the guy and stabbed him three times - once in the chest, once in the stomach, and once in the back. A car from the presidential guard was sent to pick up the two soldiers.  

After they left, I went down to the man. He wasn't moving. I'm sure he was dead. The Red Cross came to pick him up about an hour later.