Question Period Note: Protester killed in Guinea’s first anti-junta demonstration

A man was killed in Guinea's capital during protests against fuel price hikes, the first demonstration since the junta seized control in September in the West African nation, according witnesses

• We are concerned by reports of the killing of a of young Guinean during a demonstration on June 6.
• Our thoughts and best wishes are with his family and loved ones.
• Canada is following the situation in Guinea closely and we are calling for an independent investigation to shed light on the circumstances of the incident.
• Canada is concerned about the protection of the human rights of Guineans at a time when any form of demonstration in the public space is prohibited.
• The promotion of human rights is an integral part of Canada's constructive engagement in the world, and our government is committed to continuing and intensifying its efforts in this regard.

Thierno Mamadou Diallo, 19, was shot in the head during the first demonstrations in Guinea on June 1 since the military junta, which has been in power since the September 5, 2021, coup d'état, imposed a ban on all demonstrations on public roads and squares in Guinea until the start of the next election campaign. These initial protests were over rising fuel prices and resulted in the first civilian deaths from clashes between security forces and protesters since the junta took power. Conakry's public prosecutor promised an investigation to shed light on the circumstances of the young Guinean's shooting death. He also warned against any political "recuperation" during the funeral of the latter.

Colonel Doumbouya seized power in Guinea in a putsch on September 5, 2021. Despite repeated requests by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to establish a timetable for a return to constitutional order as soon as possible, Colonel Doumbouya announced on April 30 that he had opted for a 36-month transition period, defying Guinea's regional partners who are calling for a much shorter period. ECOWAS strongly rejected the timetable, saying that short transitions are more effective and that it was not an elective mandate. Most of the Guinean political class and part of civil society also rejected the length of the transition, threatening to call on Guineans to take to the streets to denounce the military junta's desire to stay in power. At the last summit of ECOWAS on June 4, West African heads of state preferred to give themselves another month to decide on a course of action in the absence of a consensus on the situation in Guinea. However, they expressed concern about the deteriorating socio-political situation, which they attributed to the lack of an appropriate framework for dialogue between the authorities, political actors and civil society. Therefore, the ECOWAS called on Conakry to finalize an acceptable timetable for the end of the transition and respect for human rights in the country.

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