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Guinea: Fighting impunity with impunity

DAKAR, 24 March 2009 (IRIN) - The National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD), led by military junta head Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, arrested three former ministers of the late President Lansana Conté on 23 March for allegedly embezzling national funds, but human rights officials say the nature of the arrests shows impunity continues.

Shortly before their arrests, Camara-appointee and Minister of State Control, Al-Hassan Onipogui, accused former Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souaré, and former Ministers of Mines Ousmane Sylla and Louncény Nabé of embezzling US$5.3 million of state finances.

The questioning was part of an auditing process of government funds that Camara promised soon after he took power on 23 December.

The international non-profit Transparency International's 2008 corruption index ranked Guinea as the country with the seventh most corrupt image among 180 ranked countries.

Souaré told investigators in early March the funds were legitimately spent on state finances. The three men are currently being held at Alpha Yaya Diallo military camp in the capital, Conakry.

Contradicts due process

Corinne Dufka, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch in Senegal, had a mixed response to the arrests. "The good news is that the CNDD and Camara recognise the key role that corruption and bad governance have played in undermining the welfare of the Guinean people. That is very important," she told IRIN.

"But we are worried that Camara and the CNDD appear to be undermining the rule of law in an effort to establish the rule of law."

She continued: "Popular justice ? which this is an example of ? often does not adhere to due process. These people are being held at a military camp, are being interrogated in public, surrounded by people with heavy weaponry, and, we understand, without the presence of lawyers. That contradicts proper judicial practices."

Popular

But Guineans who spoke to IRIN said despite the questionable approach, they welcome the outcome. "Even if I do not like the way in which these arrests are being carried out, I support the CNDD in arresting these ex-ministers," Conakry-based businessman Diarouga Baldé told IRIN.

"I applaud the courage of the President of the Republic [Camara] who has dared to rupture all ties with the old regime," said the businessman. "These measures should now be extended to all of those who misgoverned our country."

University student Bah Amadou told IRIN Guineans' hunger for change means they will continue to support the CNDD, despite their heavy-handed tactics.

"I am in favour of these arrests ? these people [ex-ministers] have to accept everything that comes their way because under Conté, they did not respect our country. We need to hold them all to account if we are to have meaningful governance change in this country."

HRW's Dufka too, welcomed the attention the CNDD is bringing to how Guinea's mineral wealth has brought little benefit to most Guineans.

Despite holding a third of the world's bauxite reserves, the majority of Guinea's residents live in poverty; Guinea ranked 160 out of 177 countries in the latest UN index measuring living conditions around the world.

Sidelined

Dufka told IRIN the justice ministry and police are constitutionally responsible for undertaking such investigations and arrests.

"The problems Guinea [have] had are clearly underpinned by a crisis of impunity. While on the one hand holding erstwhile untouchables to account is positive, the uneven nature of the investigations, amid ongoing abuses by all players, illuminates that impunity is still a major problem there."

"Confronting this impunity is just as important as pushing for 2009 democratic elections to be held, which is the current push from foreign governments and multilaterals," Dufka said.

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Topics: Impunity,