Commando units loyal to wounded junta leader arrest civilians in Guinea

Commando units arrest civilians in Guinea

CONAKRY, Guinea — Commando units loyal to the wounded leader of Guinea’s military junta have swept through neighborhoods near the capital, arresting civilians believed to have ties with the soldier that tried to assassinate him.

The arrests come as the ruling junta tried to reassure the population about the president’s health, insisting that that Capt. Moussa “Dadis” Camara was recovering well from a surgery in a Moroccan hospital.

Residents say at least three military pickup trucks filled with soldiers descended Monday on the suburb of Cosa, where they arrested four civilians. Those arrested included a marabout, or local witch doctor, believed to have done spells for the former chief of the presidential guard, who is accused of having tried to assassinate the president.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Guinea’s military strongman, hospitalized in Morocco with a gunshot wound, is conscious and speaking, the country’s foreign minister said Monday as he tried to tamp down speculation that Capt. Moussa “Dadis” Camara is badly hurt.

Alexandre Cece Loua told The Associated Press he has spoken with Camara in the hospital and called his condition “encouraging.” Few details have emerged about the nature of Camara’s wounds since he was shot in an assassination attempt in Guinea on Thursday.

The future of the bauxite-rich African nation has seemed as uncertain as the health of Camara, who seized power in a coup a year ago. The commander of the presidential guard who allegedly shot Camara is on the run. Camara’s departure means Guinea potentially faces a dangerous power vacuum.

“I saw him, I spoke to him, he answered me, all this shows that he retains his mental faculties,” Loua told AP in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. “He recognizes his entourage. His breathing is not assisted.”

Earlier Monday, Loua told France’s RFI radio that Camara was not yet able to have a conversation. Speaking to the AP later, Loua played down concerns about Camara’s physical and mental faculties.

But a retired diplomat close to the junta who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter told the AP that the bullet had caused a splinter of bone to pierce Camara’s brain and that he had to undergo a three- to four-hour-long operation.

Camara was flown to Morocco Friday, where he was operated on for cranial trauma at a military hospital.

“There has been no estimate for … how long it will be before he returns,” Loua said. “He is responding well to the treatment he has been prescribed and there is no worry over his life.”

Loua could not say if there were any plans for Camara to address the country, where there are fears of further coups and even civil war.

In Guinea’s capital, Conakry, Communications Minister Idrissa Cherif said he does not know if “the boss will come back Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday — or when.” Cherif said Camara’s return “is up to his doctors.”

He continued to insist Camara “is doing well” and has resumed his official functions from his hospital room.

Gunfire broke out Sunday evening after state TV announced a toll-free number where citizens could call if they had information about the alleged would-be assassin, Abubakar “Toumba” Diakite. The junta launched a nationwide manhunt for him and the presidential guard force Diakite once commanded searched passing cars.

Gen. Sekouba Konate, the vice president of the military junta, has taken charge in Camara’s absence.

In September, the presidential guard opened fire on unarmed demonstrators who had gathered to demand that Camara step aside, killing at least 157.

A coalition of opposition and civil society leaders gathered to discuss possible next steps. Many say they doubt elections scheduled for January will go forward as planned. They had feared Camara would run as a candidate.

“The first thing we need to know is the state of his health,” said opposition leader Jean Marie Dore. “Is he going to recover? And if he recovers, will he be able to resume his functions? Once we get some clarity on that, then we can start formulating a way forward.”

France’s Foreign Ministry on Monday called for calm in Guinea.

The junta has also laid waste to the country’s economy, already one of the poorest in Africa even though it has half the world’s reserves of bauxite, the raw material used to make aluminum.

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Associated Press writer Rukmini Callimachi in Conakry, Guinea contributed to this report.