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Guinea Conakry leader escapes assassination
Soldier 'fires on Guinea leader'
Guinea's military leader has been fired on by one of his aides in the capital, Conakry, a government spokesman says.
Officials said Capt Moussa Dadis Camara was slightly injured in the shooting.
Communication Minister Idrissa Cherif said Capt Camara was "doing well". He named aide-de-camp Aboubacar "Toumba" Diakite as being behind the attack.
Mr. Cherif said Capt Camara, who took power in a bloodless coup last year, was at a military camp when the shooting occurred.
Reports from the city said gunfire broke out at about 1900 GMT, near a radio station and a base of the presidential guard.
CAPT MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA
· Seized power in December 2008 as a little known army captain
· Promised democracy, but now shows signs of holding onto power
· Increasingly erratic behaviour and public humiliation of officials
"The president of the republic is still the president of the republic and he is in good health," Mr Cherif was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
He warned that those behind the attack would face punishment.
It remains unclear whether Lt Diakite has been arrested.
Capt Camara is now reportedly at the junta's headquarters.
Protest crackdown
In the past few months, the ruling junta has faced criticism over its crackdown on an opposition protest, in which activists say 157 people died.
ANALYSIS
David Bamford, BBC News
Guinea's mineral wealth makes it potentially one of Africa's richest countries, yet its people are among the poorest in West Africa. Largely to blame are a procession of strong-arm leaders who have run the country since independence half a century ago.
When former President Lansana Conte died last year it was the turn of Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to seize control. Though Capt Camara declared himself president following the coup, he also maintained he had no intention of clinging on to power.
In August this year, he announced that presidential elections would be held in January 2010. But in September, government troops opened fire on an opposition rally at a stadium in Conakry, called to protest Captain Camara's rumoured intention to stand as a candidate.
Since then the situation has grown ever more unstable.
The government has admitted 58 people died at the protest in Conakry in September, but says most were crushed in a stampede.
Activists say the army opened fire on crowds and soldiers took part in gang rapes and murders.
The rally was called amid reports that Capt Camara was planning to stand in presidential elections next year.
The BBC's Mark Doyle, who was recently in Guinea, says tensions have been extremely high there since September.
Capt Camara was at first popular when he seized power because he promised to return the country to civilian rule, our correspondent says.
However, since appearing to renege on that promise Capt Camara has become unpopular with all but his closest allies, he adds.
Arms embargoes and travel restrictions have been imposed against the junta by the European Union and West African alliance Ecowas.
The EU has called for Capt Camara to be tried for crimes against humanity, while the African Union has been urging him to stand down.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8394307.stm
Published: 2009/12/03 22:45:51 GMT
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