Guinea’s ruling junta has dismissed more than 60 soldiers and prison officers in the aftermath of a jailbreak that involved armed commandos freeing former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara from prison and left nine dead, officials confirmed on Monday.
Armed individuals stormed the prison in the capital, Conakry, during the early hours of Saturday, taking Camara and three other former senior officials who are currently on trial alongside him. However, by the end of the day, they had been apprehended and returned to jail following a nationwide manhunt.
The group taken from prison is facing trial for their alleged involvement in the deaths of over 150 individuals and the sexual assault of more than 100 women during a protest in the city in 2009.
It remains unclear whether they escaped or were taken against their will, as their lawyers have asserted.
The military described the operation as an attempt to “sabotage” government reforms and reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment” to the current military-led regime. Authorities have consistently called for calm and assured that they have the situation under control.
Life appeared to return to normal in Conakry’s Kaloum government and business district, which also houses the main prison, on Monday. However, security forces were closely inspecting vehicles entering the district, searching for weapons and the last escaped prisoner, Colonel Claude Pivi, who remains at large, AFP report.
Moussa Dadis Camara seized power in a 2008 coup and remained in office until 2010 when Alpha Conde was elected as Guinea’s first freely chosen president. Following several terms in office, Conde was ousted in a 2021 coup led by Doumbouya, who has been leading the country since then.