West Africa's Ecowas imposes arms embargo on Guinea

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West Africa’s regional bloc Ecowas today imposed an arms embargo against
Guinea, accusing the ruling military junta for "mass human rights
violations" during anti-government protests last month.

International pressure has increased for Guinea's military leader,
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to step down after gunmen used live rounds
against protesters in a stadium on September 28. More than 150 people
died and thousands more wounded in the incident, according to a local
rights group.

"In view of the atrocities that have been committed ... the authority
decides to impose an arms embargo on Guinea under the Ecowas Convention
on Small Arms and Light Weapons," said the communique of the Economic
Community of West African States.

The regional group, officially the Economic Community of West African
States, also threatened to impose full sanctions against Niger if
President Mamadou Tandja does not take immediate steps to resolve the
country's political crisis.

Tandja has faced widespread criticism for changing the uranium-rich
nation's constitution in August to extend his term in office and give
himself broader powers under a fully presidential government.

Ecowas is made up of 15 West African countries, founded in May 1975,
with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos. Its mission is to promote
economic integration and achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for the
member states by means of economic and monetary union creating a single
large trading bloc.- Reuters


Friday, October 16, 2009
20:22 Mecca time, 17:22 GMT

Pressure mounts on Guinea leaders

Rights groups said more than 150 people were killed by presidential
guard troops on September

African leaders are considering sanctions against Guinea's military
leadership, while France is calling on its citizens to leave the country
because of detoriating security.

A French foreign ministry statement issued on Friday said there had been
"an increase in acts of banditry and armed robberies" in the capital,
Conkary, in the aftermath of a deadly crackdown on a September 28
opposition rally.

"There is no prospect of improvement in the short term," the statement
said.

According to the United Nations and rights groups, more than 150 people
were killed when troops opened fire on demonstrators in September. The
military government says 56 people died.

"The mood on the street is hardening against the junta," Richard
Moncrieff, the West Africa project director of the International Crisis
Group, said in a press release.

"Worse trouble is likely unless combined domestic and international
pressure is applied to force the soldiers from power."

Possible sanctions

On Saturday, West African heads of state will meet to discuss sanctions
and possibly call for an international inquiry into the September 28
bloodbath.

Meanwhile, a rally in support of Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, the
country's leader, was scheduled for Saturday.

Mamadi Kaba, a spokesman for the Guinean branch of African human rights
watchdog Raddho, told the news agency AFP: "Tension prevails. There will
be a rally Saturday in Conakry in support of the junta, as an act of
defiance against the international community."

"[The rally] is considered an insult by a part of the population. I am
afraid the situation will get out of hand," Kaba said.

Three ministers have resigned this week in protest against the bloody
crackdown on the opposition.

Justin Morel, the information minister, said in his resignation letter:
"My conscience has remained tormented, my heart disturbed, and my sense
of reasoning has told me that I no longer have any reason to continue to
head this ministry and neither do I have the moral force to be the
spokesman of the government after these horrible killings."

Camara seized power in a coup in December, hours after the death of
Lansana Conte, the president. He vowed to hold elections and not stand
for himself, but there have been widespread rumours that he is aiming to
stay in power.

The African Union has given Camara's government until midnight on
Saturday to pledge in writing that it will not field a candidate for
January's presidential elections.