Conakry: Guinea's former presidential guard chief said on Wednesday he shot the country's military strongman earlier this month because the junta leader wanted him to take the blame for a massacre by troops of pro-democracy demonstrators in September.
Lt Abubakar "Toumba" Diakite told Radio France
International that he shot Capt Moussa "Dadis" Camara on Dec 3
because the junta leader betrayed the democracy of the West
African nation.
"I shot him because at a certain point, there was a
complete betrayal in my view, a total betrayal of democracy.
He (Camara) tried to blame me for the events of Sept 28,"
Diakite told RFI in his first broadcast comments since the
assassination attempt.
"I will not turn myself in because they do not want the
truth to be known. They'd prefer to kill me."
The former presidential guard commander, who is accused
of shooting Camara at point-blank range after an argument,
remains at large, and it is unclear how many of the roughly
150 men formerly under his control will stay loyal to him.
Diakite said Camara ordered the Sept 28 massacre at a
pro-democracy rally where numerous witnesses and several human
rights groups says 157 people were killed and soldiers dragged
women to the ground and raped them in broad daylight.
Junta officials were not immediately available for
comment.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 23:46