Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Guinea accuses France of complicity in shooting
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 08 - 12 - 2009

Guinea"s communications minister on Tuesday accused the French secret service of being complicit in an assassination attempt against the West African country"s leader. Former colonial power France called the allegations «absurd rumors,» according to AP.
The comments come after commando units loyal to the wounded leader of Guinea"s military junta swept through neighborhoods near the capital, arresting civilians believed to have ties to the renegade soldier accused of trying to assassinate Capt. Moussa «Dadis» Camara.
Minister of Communications Idrissa Cherif said Tuesday that France may be harboring renegade soldier Lt. Abubakar «Toumba» Diakite in the French Embassy in Conakry.
«I"m not saying that he"s hiding there,» Cherif said. «I"m saying that it"s possible. I"m saying that the French are guilty, the French secret service is implicated in this matter.»
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said the claims by Guinea"s communications minister were «absurd rumors that I forcefully deny.» French President Nicolas Sarkozy"s office said it had no comment.
Guinea became independent in 1958 after nearly seven decades of French rule.
Earlier this year, Camara dismissed the French foreign minister"s call for international intervention in Guinea after soldiers there opened fire on demonstrators. Human rights groups say at least 157 people were killed and that dozens of women were raped.
Camara, who seized power in a coup a year ago, called French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner"s comments an «affront to the dignity» of African people in an interview with France24 radio and television.
On Monday, the French ambassador was stopped by soldiers in his diplomatic car near the airport and submitted to a search, according to a top diplomat and a person close to the French Embassy, who both spoke on condition of anonymity because they not authorized to speak to media on the matter.
The ambassador"s bodyguards were made to lie down on the pavement as rocket-launchers were pointed at them, they said.
It still remained unclear Tuesday how badly wounded Camara was following last week"s attack. In an effort to tamp down speculation that he was badly hurt, the country"s foreign minister said Monday that Camara was conscious and speaking.
But a doctor who saw Camara"s CAT scan and who agreed to speak to the AP on the condition of anonymity due to patient confidentiality said the bullet had skimmed the right side of the leader"s skull, causing a splinter of bone to wedge itself in his brain. He said the injury could be life-threatening if it causes excessive swelling in the brain, but he added that he was told by the technician who administered the scan that Camara had been able to step inside the CAT scan tunnel without assistance _ indicating that he was still mobile before the surgery was performed.
Even if the piece of bone can be removed, the doctor said Camara could suffer mental impairments, especially memory loss, given that the frontal part of the brain, where memory is stored, was touched.
Camara came to power last December after the death of the country"s former strongman, Lansana Conte _ who was also a captain in the Guinean army when he grabbed power 24 years earlier. Conte"s regime had been marked by excessive corruption and Camara promised he had come to «clean.» He pledged to punish all those who had embezzled from the state and then to hand over power to civilians in democratic elections in which he would not run.
It was only months later that he reversed course. In September, the presidential guard opened fire on unarmed protesters demanding an end to military rule.
The shocking level of violence prompted the African Union and the European Union to immediately impose an arms embargo on Guinea and to impose sanctions, including a travel ban on top members of the junta. The army, which was already deeply divided, began to fracture further as leaders of the massacre began pointing the finger at each other.
The tension increased last week as a U.N. commission investigating the killings began interviewing members of the junta in an effort to assign blame.


Clic here to read the story from its source.