Guinea: Arrested activists’ whereabouts unknown

On July 9, defense and security forces arrested activists Oumar Sylla (also known as Fonike Mengue) and Mamadou Billo Bah at Oumar Sylla’s home in Conakry, Guinea’s capital. Since then, they have been subjected to enforced disappearance, with their whereabouts unknown.

On the day of their arrest, Oumar Sylla had called on social networks for people to wear red clothes on July 11 to protest the crackdown on media and the high cost of living. The Guinean authorities must immediately disclose information about Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah’s location, ensure their physical safety, and release them unconditionally.

Here’s what you can do:

Write to the Prime Minister of Guinea urging the government to:

• Immediately release Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah.
• Conduct an effective investigation into their enforced disappearance.
• Bring anyone suspected of criminal responsibility to justice in fair trials.
• Pending their release, guarantee their protection from torture and other ill-treatment while in detention.

Background of the FNDC Movement

The FNDC Movement (National Front for the Defence of the Constitution) is a coalition of civil society organizations and political parties in Guinea. They started a series of demonstrations in October 2019 to protest the amendment or adoption of a new Constitution. Since then, the FNDC has led many protests against human rights violations by both the former and current regimes.

On August 8, 2022, the transitional authorities, who took power after a coup on September 5, 2021, decided to dissolve the FNDC. They labeled it a “de facto movement” and accused it of promoting violence, damaging property, and inciting hatred. In May 2022, Guinean authorities banned protests until the electoral cycle began.

Arbitrary detentions and transition plans

Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah have been arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. In September 2020, Oumar Sylla was arrested while protesting against President Alpha Condé’s candidacy for the October 2020 presidential election.

Following the election, violent protests erupted, and security forces responded with excessive force, resulting in deaths. Oumar Sylla was released in September 2021 after the newly appointed Attorney General ordered his release. He was detained again from July 2022 to May 2023. Similarly, Mamadou Billo Bah was detained from January 2023 to May 2023.

On October 21, 2022, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Guinean authorities agreed on a 24-month transition plan in 10 stages, aiming for a return to constitutional order by December 2024.

However, the government was dissolved on February 19, 2024, and a new prime minister, Amadou Oury Bah, was appointed on February 27. In March 2024, the new prime minister announced that the transition deadlines could not be met and suggested it would now end in 2025, following a constitutional referendum in 2024.

Please take action as soon as possible until December 10, 2024! The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.