By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

CONAKRY, Guinea – According to an unnamed Western diplomat, Guinea President Moussa Dadis Camara’s junta troops are being trained by South African mercenaries.

Violence reported in the capital led to news that Guinea forces were being trained.

The South African government is investigating reports that as many as 50 South African mercenaries are working with the Guinea coup leaders.  So far the country’s intelligence agencies have been unable to confirm the reports, a South African senior official said.

“We have instructions that they are mercenaries who are training people of the same ethnic origin as the head of the coup d’etat,” said the Western diplomat.  “We already have more and more reports of abductions and violence in the streets of Conakry.”

The recent training has led to fear of ethnic warfare.  On September 28 Camara’s forces raped and killed more than 150 protestors in a sports stadium.  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed a three-man African-led commission to investigate the incidents.  Since then there has been little violence.

International mediation is unlikely to resolve the political deadlock between Captain Camara’s National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) and the opposition.  If mediation fails the country could potentially face a new bout of unrest.  Since the September 28 violence opposition leaders have called on Captain Camara to step down immediately.

Camara shows no signs of surrendering power.

“I think it’s unrealistic.  You can’t start a negotiation by saying ‘I don’t want power,'” said Guinea Foreign Minister Alexandre Ceceloua in response to the opposition’s demands in Ouagadougou, where Blaise Campaore is leading peace talks this week.

Campaore is the international community’s last hope at facilitating peace.

President Moussa Dadis Camara took power in a bloodless coup d’etat on December 23, 2008 when longtime President Lansana Conte died.

For more information, please see:

Kuwait Times – Mediation Unlikely to Solve Guinea Crisis – 15 November 2009

UPI – Mercenaries Said Training Guinea Troops – 14 November 2009

The Wall Street Journal – Hired Guns Help Junta in Guinea – 14 November 2009

Xinhua – Guinea’s Ruling CNDD Delegation Returns After Ouagadougou Crisis Talks – 14 November 2009