Guinea rights groups say death toll in stadium stampede too low
Al Jazeera
Guinea’s military-led government has warned that publishing ‘unverified’ information will result in arrests.
Human rights groups have said some 135 people were killed in a crush at a football stadium in Guinea, a tally more than twice as high as the official toll of 56 put forward by the country’s military-led government.
The Collective of Human Rights Organizations of the Nzerekore region said on Tuesday that based on information from the hospital, cemeteries, witnesses at the stadium, families of victims, mosques, churches and the local press, it estimated that a total of 135 people died at the stadium – mostly children under the age of 18 – while more than 50 others were still missing.
A controversial refereeing decision led to crowd violence and tear gas volleys from police during the match in the town of Nzerekore on Sunday, leading to a deadly stampede as spectators tried to flee.
The match was the final of a cup tournament organised in honour of the head of the military government, Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup and installed himself as president.
The collective blamed security forces for using excessive tear gas and prioritising the protection of officials over spectators.
