Reportage

Trial of September 28 in Guinea: Constable Blaise Goumou maintains his version of the facts

Audio 01:14

Defendants in the trial of the massacre of September 28, 2009 in Guinea before their judges, September 28, 2022. AFP - CELLOU BINANI

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

At the trial of the Conakry stadium massacre, this Monday, January 30, Blaise Goumou appeared for the second time.

The gendarme was part, at the material time, of the special services directed by Moussa Tiegboro Camara.

He is accused of having participated in the bloody repression of the opposition meeting, organized on September 28, 2009, which left more than 150 dead and more than a hundred women raped.

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With our correspondent in Conakry,

Matthias Raynal

On the day of the massacre, Blaise Goumou was at the stadium, but he claims to have seen no demonstrator lose their lives: " 

We stayed at the stadium until the red berets came

 "

The lawyer for the civil parties intervenes: “ 

A civil party, on behalf of Oumou Bary, said this: Before letting us continue, Minister Tiegboro said this: you want to access the stadium.

Go ahead, but you will draw the consequences.

 »

In his suit and tie, Constable Blaise Goumou faces the Court all day.

Questioned in turn by the public prosecutor and then the lawyers for the civil parties, he maintained his version of the facts.

“ 

Singing the national anthem, the Tiegboro troupe came firing live ammunition.

They killed two men who were loaded into a truck by the gendarmes.

What do you say, Mr. Blaise Goumou

?

 “, Continues the lawyer for the civil parties. 

"

That's an uncertainty.

Me, I wasn't there.

[…]

Criminal responsibility is personal.

If we say "

 the

elements of Tiegboro

", I do not call myself "

elements of Tiegboro

 ", he replied.

Interrupted shortly after 5.30 p.m., Blaise Goumou's hearing is due to resume on Tuesday morning.

►Also read 

Trial of September 28 in Guinea: the hearing shortened by a lawyer

The RFI Archives on the events of September 28:

  • Morning of September 28: a difficult road to the stadium

  • September 28, midday: the descent into hell

  • Afternoon of September 28: treating the blows, hiding the bodies

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