Former Guinea dictator Moussa ‘Dadis’ Camara back in jail after gunmen stormed prison, lawyer says

Early on Saturday, gunmen raided the main prison in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, and freed former dictator Moussa “Dadis” Camara and several others, according to officials. However, a lawyer representing Camara later claimed he had been kidnapped, not freed.

Prosecutor Yamoussa Conte announced that an investigation had been launched into charges of prison escape and illegal weapons possession against Camara and three other individuals.

Later that day, Camara’s attorney, Jacomey Haba, stated that her client had been returned to the central prison, where he was being questioned. “My client did not escape; he was abducted,” Haba said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Among those who escaped with Camara were Claude Pivi and Blaise Goumou, both of whom were also detained in connection with a 2009 stadium massacre that resulted in 157 deaths. Justice Minister Charles Alphonse Wright assured the public that those responsible would be found and held accountable. He made this statement during an interview with local Radio Fim FM after heavy gunfire was heard in the Kaloum district of Conakry.

Wright also confirmed that another prisoner, Moussa Thiegboro Camara, had already been recaptured.

Moussa Camara rose to power following a coup in 2008 after the death of Guinea’s long-time ruler, Lansana Conte. After surviving an assassination attempt by one of his own bodyguards, Camara lived in exile for several years before returning to Guinea in late 2021.

The 2009 massacre occurred when Guinean security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters who opposed Camara’s plans to run for president. More than a dozen suspects, including Camara, were charged for their roles in the tragedy.

Guinea’s government initially resisted Camara’s return from exile in Burkina Faso, fearing political unrest. However, a military coup in September 2021 brought a new junta to power, which allowed Camara’s homecoming. Last year, Camara testified in court, stating that he had been asleep during the massacre and only learned about it later that day.