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Twenty African civil society organisations have called for an independent and official investigation into the discovery of six bodies found bound and blindfolded in a mass grave in southwestern Guinea.
The bodies were discovered last Monday in the village of Allassoyah, in the Forecariah administrative prefecture of Lower Guinea, by young people who were reportedly gathering firewood in the area.
The organisations, which include several branches of the Tournons La Page (TLP) network that brings together citizens’ movements across about a dozen African countries, made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday.
The call came as Guinea’s armed forces confirmed the discovery of the bodies, saying they had been taken to a hospital in Forecariah for identification and to determine, if possible, the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The armed forces said authorities were taking measures to establish what happened and promised that the findings of the investigation would be made public.
The civil society organisations, however, called for a broader investigation, urging authorities to examine all possible explanations surrounding the deaths.
They also demanded that the probe be “independent, impartial and transparent” and conducted with the support of national and international forensic experts to formally identify the victims.
The groups said the discovery had heightened concerns over alleged enforced disappearances in Guinea, noting that TLP-Guinea had documented at least 35 cases since September 5, 2021.
According to the organisations, the condition in which the bodies were found raised fears that the victims could have been subjected to extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
The discovery comes amid continued political tensions in Guinea following the 2021 military coup that brought General Mamady Doumbouya to power.
Since the coup, several political parties have been suspended and protests suppressed, while opposition figures and civil society leaders have been arrested, convicted or forced into exile.
The civil society groups also said the abduction or disappearance of opposition activists had become increasingly frequent under the military-led government.
They urged authorities to ensure that the investigation into the six bodies was conducted without interference and that those responsible, if identified, were held accountable.
