Actualité  Posté le 15:39 18-10-2024, modifié le 15:39 18-10-2024 par Tournons La Page

The NGOs Forum, held from October 13 to 15, 2024 in Banjul, Gambia, was marked by a vibrant plea for the release of Oumar Sylla, coordinator of the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC), and Mamadou Billo Bah, coordinator of Tournons La Page Guinée (TLP-Guinea), kidnapped by Guinean defense and security forces in Conakry on July 9, 2024. The plea, made by members of Tournons La Page (TLP), was a highlight of the event preceding the 81st ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR). 

A kidnapping that strikes at the heart of Guinean civil society 

On July 9, 2024, Oumar Sylla, also known as Foniké Menguè, and Mamadou Billo Bah were violently abducted by Guinean security forces, triggering a wave of indignations among human rights movements. Their arrests, without legal warrants or clear grounds, quickly became symbolic of the repression faced by human rights defenders and activists in Guinea. 

Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah are emblematic figures of peaceful resistance and the fight for democracy in Guinea. For years, they have been campaigning against corruption, abuses of power and violations of fundamental rights, notably in the context of protests against the controversial third term of office of former president Alpha Condé and against the current military junta. Their abduction is part of a series of attacks on Guinean civil society leaders, exacerbating tensions in an already tense political context. 

Tournons La Page speaks out at NGOs Forum 

At the NGOs Forum in Banjul, the TLP delegation, comprising Anna Simon (advocacy officer), Wassim Ouameur (project manager), Sentiment Ondo Elibiyo (TLP-Gabon coordinator) and Agnès Metougou (TLP-Cameroon member), took a firm stance in denouncing this orchestrated repression against Sylla and Bah. The plea for their immediate and unconditional release was central to the speeches.