Actualité  Posté le 14:55 12-08-2024, modifié le 14:55 12-08-2024 par Tournons La Page

Senegalese civil society has denounced the disturbing disappearance of two emblematic figures in the struggle for democracy in Guinea. At a press briefing in Dakar on August 9, Tournons La Page Senegal (TLP-Sénégal) launched an urgent appeal to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union Commission on Human Rights.

The call follows the arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance of Oumar Sylla, alias Foniké Menguè, coordinator of the Front National pour la Défense de la Constitution (FNDC), and Mamadou Billo Bah, head of FNDC branches and mobilization and coordinator of Tournons La Page Guinea (TLP-Guinea). The two activists were arrested by hooded soldiers in Conakry on July 9, 2024, and no sign of life has been heard from them since. One month after their arrest, neither their place of detention nor their state of health has been communicated.

At the press conference, Alpha Bayo, a member of Guinean civil society in exile in Senegal, expressed his concern and recalled the circumstances of the arrests. "After the closure of the media and the deterioration of living conditions, Guinean civil society initiated the red T-shirt campaign. It was a citizens' campaign that was limited to social networks. It attracted the attention of the government. On the eve of the second campaign, there were arrests. Foniké Menguè and Mamadou Billo Bah were arrested at around 11pm and taken to an unknown destination. They were tortured. Moreover, there are rumors of the death of our comrades and we are afraid. The repression that Guineans are experiencing is excessive", he declared.

Alexandre Gubert Lette, coordinator of TLP-Senegal, expressed his deep concern at the situation, describing the disappearance of the two activists as a "kidnapping". For him, this case represents a serious threat to all free and courageous voices defending freedom and justice in Guinea. "We cannot remain silent in the face of such injustice. This is why, as members of Senegalese civil society, we wish to express our full solidarity with the families of Foniké Menguè and Billo Bah, their close collaborators, and all those who fight tirelessly for the protection of human rights and democracy in Guinea. We share their pain and anguish, and pledge to support their quest for truth and justice," he said. However, he called on the Guinean authorities to provide proof that the two human rights defenders are alive. "It is imperative that the Guinean authorities act transparently and diligently to clarify the circumstances of their disappearance and guarantee their safety", said Alexandre Gubert Lette firmly, before appealing to the international community: "We also call on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union Commission on Human Rights, and the entire international community. It is crucial that these bodies act firmly to demand answers from the Guinean authorities and ensure the protection of the fundamental rights of all Guinean citizens. We insist that this case must not be hushed up or forgotten. It is our duty to defend the values of freedom, justice and respect for human rights, not only in Senegal, but throughout Africa. We will remain vigilant and in solidarity until the truth is shed on this affair".