By Ayomide Otitoju
At least 56 people were killed in a deadly stampede during a football match in Guinea’s second-largest city, N’Zerekore, the junta-controlled government announced on Monday.
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday after protests erupted over disputed refereeing decisions. Supporters began throwing stones, triggering chaos and a fatal stampede, according to a government statement broadcast as a news ticker on national television. Hospital authorities reported a provisional death toll of 56.
Eyewitnesses painted a grim picture of the aftermath. “There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital. Others are lying on the floor in the hallways. The morgue is full,” one doctor said anonymously, claiming the death toll could reach around 100. Another doctor described seeing “dozens of dead.”
Videos circulating on social media, which AFP could not immediately verify, showed chaotic scenes outside the stadium, with numerous bodies visible on the ground.
The unrest escalated as angry demonstrators vandalized and set fire to the N’Zerekore police station, witnesses said. “It all started with a contested decision by the referee. Then fans invaded the pitch,” one attendee told AFP, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.
The match was part of a tournament honoring Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup and now serves as president. Such tournaments have become common as Doumbouya positions himself for a potential run in presidential elections expected next year.
Doumbouya, who overthrew President Alpha Conde in September 2021, initially pledged to transition power back to civilian rule by the end of 2024. However, he has since made moves consolidating his authority, including promoting himself to army general. His regime has cracked down on dissent, detaining opposition leaders and forcing others into exile.
The junta’s “transitional charter” prohibits members from running in elections, but Doumbouya’s supporters have expressed backing for his candidacy. Authorities recently signaled that elections to restore constitutional order might not occur until 2025.
Guinea, a nation rich in natural resources yet mired in poverty, has endured decades of authoritarian rule. Doumbouya is among several military leaders in West Africa who have seized power since 2020, joining counterparts in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
N’Zerekore, a city of about 200,000 people in Guinea’s southeast, has experienced past episodes of unrest, further highlighting the fragility of the region under the junta’s rule.
