The Secretary-General has transmitted a report on the 28 September 2009 events in Guinea to the Government of Guinea, the Security Council, the Commission of the African Union, and the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The report of the International Commission of Inquiry flows from investigations carried out in Conakry, Guinea, from 15 November to 5 December 2009.
The 2009 Guinea protest was an opposition rally that took a turn for the worse when security forces opened fire at 50,000 demonstrators gathered in a large stadium.
157 people were killed, over a thousand injured, and there were claims of soldiers seen publicly raping women. Thirty arrests were made that day, including the leader of the opposition party.
In this statement, the Secretary-General is reminding the Guinean government of its obligation to protect victims and witnesses, including those who cooperated with the Commission.
He also underscores the imperative need for the government of Guinea to seize this opportunity to break definitively with the violence that characterized the tragic events of 28 September.
Jocelyne Sambira, UN Radio.
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