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Martial law grips Guinea

By Saliou Samb

CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea's military enforced draconian martial law measures across the West African state on Tuesday, quashing protests and arresting curfew-breakers to halt a widening revolt against President Lansana Conte.

At least two people were killed in the northern town of Labe when soldiers opened fire on protesters, eye witnesses said, as a fourth straight day of violence gripped the world's largest bauxite exporter.

The U.S. government said it would airlift some of its citizens out of the riot-torn country, while former colonial power France said it was closely monitoring the security of its nationals, who number around 3,000.

Conte, who has resisted opposition calls to step down, declared an 11-day state of siege late on Monday, handing sweeping search and arrest powers to the armed forces which have faithfully supported him since he seized power 23 years ago.

"Guinea's security forces must abide by international standards on the use of force," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said in a statement. "There are serious allegations of gross breaches of those standards."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged dialogue and called on the security forces to "exercise maximum restraint".

Army Chief of Staff Kerfala Camara, however, announced on state television late on Tuesday he had ordered the military to use their weapons if faced by any resistance or threats.

Conte, a chain-smoking diabetic who critics say is unfit to rule, sent in the army to end rioting and looting that accompanied the relaunch by unions on Monday of a general strike after he named an ally as prime minister.

Sporadic gunfire was heard in some neighbourhoods of the dilapidated seaside capital Conakry, where residents said heavily armed soldiers and police broke up pockets of young protesters, cleared barricades and rounded up curfew breakers.

The martial law measures restricted civilians to their homes for all but four hours of the day -- from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. -- and gave the armed forces sweeping powers to detain suspects, as well as control over broadcasting, the press and communications.

"I went to the market but came back very quickly. It's not sensible to stay outside when you can hear gunfire," said Maimouna Keita, a resident of Conakry's Taouyah neighbourhood.

MINING, FOOD AID HIT

An 18-day work stoppage last month sparked violence that has so far killed more than 110 people. Unions resumed the strike after Conte named a close ally, Eugene Camara, as prime minister on Friday, a move they said violated an earlier agreement.

"Camara could resign but that wouldn't be enough. People really want rid of Conte," said one western diplomat in Conakry.

Foreign-run mining operations for bauxite, the ore from which aluminium is extracted, have been disrupted by the protests.

U.S. aluminium giant Alcoa, which with Canada's Alcan runs a major bauxite mining and export joint venture, said its operations had been halted. South African and Russian firms also have operations there in the country.

Recent riot hotspots, such as Kankan and Nzerekore in the east, were also under tight military control. In Labe, 250 km (155 miles) northeast of Conakry, witnesses reported shooting throughout the day

The martial law measures heaped further hardship on Guinea's nearly 10 million population, most of whom live in poverty. The U.N. World Food Programme suspended operations after three food warehouses were looted at the weekend by residents.

Union and opposition leaders said they feared persecution.

"We're all under surveillance at home," said union negotiator Ousmane Souare.

(Additional reporting by Nick Tattersall in Dakar, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Michelle Nichols and Carole Vaporean in New York, Anna Willard in Paris)

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Last updated: 14-Feb-07 01:57 GMT