Prepare for the worst in Guinea

Zeina Mvemba

1:12 PM

10/29/09

After the death of Guinea’s President Lansana Conté, many attacks and terror on the people of Guinea have followed. Although initial thought after the death of Conté was that the people of Guinea’s life would become easier, many people have suffered a different outcome. Starting with an attack on a peace rally that killed at least 150 people, many people who support an official named Camara have turned to violence. However, the people of Guinea are starting to believe the reason for violence is because of ethnic divisions. Most of the people who were attacked at the peace rally were of the ethnicity group Puehl, most of which who are Muslim. Camara and his supporter’s including the military junta practice Christianity. One victim quotes her attacker in saying, “were going to finish all the Puehl”.

The scare of ethnic conflict is the potential of how brutal ethnic conflicts can become. Many countries in Africa have history of genocide’s based on ethnicity. The people of Guinea are already suffering by gang rapes and killings, which is the worst outcome possible. Also, the scare following the conflicts in Guinea is that the violence will transfer over to neighboring countries such as Sierra Leone and Liberia. I can’t help but to be saddened by the events in Guinea. Especially after the people thought they would be liberated because of the death of Conté, when actually the violence increased. The irony of the situation although it is not a light matter is that the people were attacked at a peace rally of all places. It is astonishing that solely because of a different opinion/ethnicity people are attacked.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/28/attack-protesters-guinea-ethnic-conflict