Guinea - violence

France wants international force in Guinea

Article published on the 2009-10-05 Latest update 2009-10-05 12:18 TU

Moussa Dadis Camara
(Photo: AFP)

France supports sending foreign troops to Guinea to stabilise the country, which has been rocked by violence since the army cracked down on opposition protesters last week. French Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner said Sunday that France can no longer work with Guinean coup leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara.

Kouchner said he can no longer work with Camara, after this week’s violence, although Camara, who seized power last year, has claimed he could not control the troops involved.

“Captain Camara overthrew the government in a coup, which at first everyone accepted because, after 29 years of dictatorship, it looked like it could bring stability,” said Kouchner Sunday evening on French television.

But, he claimed, that today's violence is worse than in Uganda under military ruler Idi Amin.

“Today the danger of ethnic clashes is huge," Kouchner continued. "So today, we can no longer accept this. We can no longer work with Captain Camara.

"There needs to be some kind of international intervention, and we are working on that.”

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Bernard Valéro said Monday that an African peacekeeping force could help resolve the situation in Guinea. He did not indicate whether or not France would take part in such a force.

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) sent Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaoré to Conakry Monday to try to find a solution to the crisis.

"France encourages Ecowas, the African Union and the United Nations Human Rights Commission to start an international inquiry as soon as possible to find those responsible for the massacre on 28 September,” said Valéro.