afrol News / La Lance, 19 May - On Sunday morning, a group of heavily armed fugitives caused terror in downtown Conakry, the capital of Guinea, as they were shooting in the air at the Marché du Niger (Niger Market). The fugitives included a group of high-profiled soldiers accused of plotting a coup and several civilian, common prisoners. Most are still at large.

Terrified street vendors, salesmen and saleswomen evacuated the market shouting, causing people to flee the area. Shopkeepers and assistants were left in fear and disbelief by the action, which is a seldom view in Guinea. The rare taxis circulating the area had to turn back, into the suburbs.

All started at the Conakry's central Coronthie prison one hour earlier, when the detained soldiers managed to escape, thus allowing several civilian prisoners to take advantage of the confusion. High ranking officers were reported to be among the fugitives, including Misbaou Sow and Naroumba Kéïta, known from a recent coup attempt.

The six soldiers escaping from Coronthie, including three in civilian clothes, walked towards the city centre heading towards the Niger Market and shooting in the air. City security agents were reported to flee the scene. Reaching the market, the escaped prisoners hijacked a car and chased away its passengers. The car however refused to start and the groups of fugitives continued walking towards downtown Conakry.

For unknown reasons, one of the soldiers reportedly fell to the ground and was left behind by his comrades. He was quickly taken care of by security officers, bringing him to Conakry's central police station. A little further, the five remaining fugitive soldiers hijacked a red BMW, registered RC-7113-G and headed towards the Boulbinet suburb, where the state broadcaster, Radio Télévision Guinéenne (RTG), is located.

Reaching the state broadcaster, they "violently" crushed into the gate of the RTG compound, guarded by two gendarmes of the Presidential Security Battalion (BASP). The two gendarmes reportedly were "quickly neutralised" and their machine guns were stolen. "They then asked us to indicate the direction of the radio to them. When other gate keeping gendarmes tried to come to the rescue, they entered the BMW and left the RTG compound," explained one of the gendarmes taken hostage by the attackers.

Another witness added that the gate keepers "were about to intervene when they saw a large number of journalists crewing around the attackers' car. If they had shot at this time, many of the journalists would have been killed. This is why they did not shoot." The five fugitives took advantage of the situation and fled out the gate, heading towards the Conakry suburbs.

Arriving at one of the main highways out of the city, they left behind the BMW and managed to disappear. Anti-riot policemen immediately launched a systematic search operation in the all commune of Kaloum; the Greater Conakry district. People without papers or wearing dirty clothes were ransacked for identification. Major roads were barricaded and all vehicles passing through were subjected to a thorough search. The hijacked car was secured by the police.

Escape treated as taboo by authorities
Ousmane Bangoura, Director of Urban Safety in Conakry, was neither eager nor willing to speak to us. When we met him, some minutes after the escape, he referred to us the Minister. Later, however, he was willing to answer certain of our colleagues by telephone or directly. "The prisoners have escaped. That is all that I can say to you at this moment," Mr Bangoura revealed. But that, one already knew.

Yet one hour later, Minister Kiridi Bangoura of Territorial Administration, Guinea's Secretary-General of the Presidency El Hadj Fodé Bangoura and Minister of Information Hadja Aissatou Bella Diallo were gathered at the RTG compound. "We will meet the imam of Boulbinet to ask him to calm the citizens of the district. It has disconnected its telephone, but Minister for Safety Ousmane Camara will visit him", said Mr Fodé Bangoura.

Shortly thereafter, a smiling gendarme left the Koundara army camp next to the RTG compound, claiming: "They have all been detained. They are there," he said pointing at the army camp. The escape had also caused its first reactions as one gendarme of the presidential guard had been stripped off his honours, probably for having abandoned his post during the attack.

On Monday, however, it became clear that many armed fugitives still were at large. Guinea's Attorney General, Yves Williams Aboli, in an odd televised speech without images said that "the majority of the escaped soldiers" had been "neutralised" and that one of the civilian fugitives had been shot dead. The escape had probably been made possible by a tank lorry parked within the prison, providing camouflage to the imprisoned soldiers.

Attorney General Aboli in his speech urged the population" to cooperate and to help" the police in returning the fugitives to the central prison of Conakry. Guineans however are asking themselves where the remaining armed fugitives are and what they may be up to. The incident is spreading renewed fear that Guinea may slip into a period on increased insecurity.

By Abou Bakr / afrol News staff

© afrol News / La Lance

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