by Nurat Uthman
Two children, ages eight and 14, were shot dead on Tuesday during protests against repeated power cuts in Kindia city to the east of Guinea’s capital, hospital sources said.
“Two people were killed and 12 injured, including five members of the security forces,” an anonymous doctor at Kindia hospital told AFP.
Young people carrying stones took to the streets to demand the return of electricity, according to witnesses contacted by AFP, who described a tense situation in the town, where shops were closed. The army was on patrol in several neighborhoods.
Diallo Mamadou Aliou, the brother of the teenager killed on Tuesday denounced the military repression: “I demand that justice.”
“The actions of the military are intolerable.”
Guinea, which is poor despite considerable mineral and natural resources, has endured decades of dictatorial rule and suffers fuel shortages and power cuts.
After initial demonstrations on Monday, motorbike taxi drivers joined the movement on Tuesday by honking their horns in discontent.
A general strike last month demanded lower food prices, an end to media censorship and the release of a journalist.
It was the first such move under the ruling junta, which took power in 2021 and has banned demonstrations and muzzled critics.
