Guinea: M'mah Sylla, a young woman who has become the face of victims of sexual violence
M'mah Sylla died in hospital following operations, themselves following rapes committed in the hospital.
© Twitter screenshot / Women committed to sanitation
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
A wave of emotion swept over Guinean social networks after the death of a young woman on Saturday evening.
M'mah Sylla was allegedly raped by staff at a private clinic, before undergoing an abortion and serious complications.
Advertising
Read more
With our correspondent in Conakry,
Matthias Raynal
M'mah Sylla's smiley face and selfies are posted everywhere on social media.
“Justice for M'mah Sylla” is the message widely shared this weekend by Guinean internet users.
The 25-year-old Guinean had been treated in Tunis for a month after sexual and medical violence suffered in a private clinic in Guinea.
This tragic story caused outrage in his country.
“
I myself am extremely angry, I am extremely moved,”
says Malado Kaba, member of the Women's Think Tank and Influence Group.
I think it's
[this collective reaction, editor's note]
also a first positive sign, there is awareness, we never want to see that again.
This shows a first step forward: breaking the silence is extremely important.
"
The death of M'mah Sylla has reacted even to the political class.
In a statement, the Prime Minister offered his condolences on behalf of the president of the transition, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya.
The Minister of Justice has been asked to take all urgent measures to speed up the ongoing investigation.
M'mah Sylla has become a symbol of violence against women.
“
In recent years, Guinea has seen many symbolic cases like that, of young women, beaten to death and so on and M'mah Sylla is one case among many,
deplores Fatou Souaré Hann, executive director of the NGO Wafrica Guinea
.
You should know that Guinea is a country where violence against women is endemic.
It must stop, and for that, the solution is very simple: we must fight impunity.
"
Several initiatives have been launched, including an online petition to call for action against rape.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Guinea
Women