Guinea military: Martial law on till unions stop strike

Story Highlights

• Union, government leaders to meet Saturday after Thursday talks failed
• President Conte declared martial law after deadly clashes
• Crippling general strike called after Conte named ally as prime minister
• Rights groups say security forces have killed at least 64 since Saturday

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CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) -- Martial law imposed in Guinea after deadly clashes between protesters and police will only be lifted when labor unions agree to end a general strike crippling the West African country's economy, the head of the military said Friday.

Union and government representatives planned to meet Saturday morning, after failing to reach any resolutions in a two-hour meeting Thursday.

The two sides must reach a deal before military rule can be ended, Army Chief of Staff General Kerfalla Camara told The Associated Press.

"The state of siege will never be lifted before negotiations find a solution," but could be "re-examined if there's a change in people's behavior," Camara said by telephone. He said a commission has been formed to look into allegations of army abuse in recent days.

President Lansana Conte declared martial law late Monday, after dozens died in weekend riots and clashes between protesters and security forces. He has said the military rule would continue through February 23.

Unions, opposition want president to resign

Union heads and opposition leaders have called for Conte to step down. They accuse the president of violating a power-sharing agreement by naming a political ally as prime minister last week.

The unions declared a general strike this week, after Conte's announcement sparked clashes that rights groups say have killed at least 64 people since Saturday. Violence has appeared to subside in recent days, though hospitals have continued to report people showing up with gunshot wounds.

Earlier strikes, in mid-January, also led to clashes between protesters and security forces, leaving scores of people dead.

Doura Cherif, Conte's legal adviser, said "progress" was made in the meeting Thursday, but no one changed their positions.

Limited hours to go outside; no public gatherings

Since the army was given control of the country late Monday, Guineans have been banned from leaving their homes except for during a stretch in the afternoon. Public gatherings have been banned, with even funerals requiring special permission.

Union head Rabiatou Serah Diallo demanded that Conte lift martial law to stop the suffering of Guinea's people. She said she was not asking for Conte to step down, but to honor his agreement and name a new prime minister, said Mohamed Cheikh, deputy spokesman for the majority party in the national assembly.

A second union leader, Ibrahima Fofana, did not attend Thursday's meeting, prompting further talks to be rescheduled for Saturday. Fofana has demanded that Conte resign.

Faliou Sow, a member of Fofana's Guinea Workers Union, said Fofana was boycotting talks until his office was reopened, after being closed by the military over the weekend.

Fighter jets roared over the city throughout the day Thursday. Soldiers were searching cars at roadblocks and homes for weapons.

Reports of 64 killed, soldiers raping women

Residents in the suburbs of the capital, Conakry, where much of the violence has taken place, have reported this week seeing soldiers rape women as they search their homes for weapons.

Some Conakry residents said they still wanted Conte to step down, but would rather have the curfew rolled back.

"We all want change, but not like this," said Mohammed Ly, a tailor in Conakry's Madina neighborhood.

The League of Human Rights in the capital has said that at least 64 people have been killed throughout the country since Saturday.

In the Conakry area alone, hospital morgues have received 48 bodies of people who died from gunshot wounds since Saturday, said Hassan Bah, director of the city's Ignace Deen hospital.

The violence started after Conte appointed ally Eugene Camara, a Cabinet member since 1997, as prime minister.

The post had been vacant since Conte, who seized power in a 1984 coup, fired Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo in April. Conte had agreed last month to appoint a prime minister who was not a current member of his government in a deal to end the two-week national strike that brought Guinea to an economic standstill and sparked clashes that left at least 59 dead.

Gangs throwing stones, looting

After the announcement of Camara's appointment, gangs of youths took to the street -- throwing stones, looting buildings and clashing with armed security forces.

The United Nations, the African Union and the European Union have condemned the violence and asked for investigations into reports of civilian killings by security forces.

U.S. and French officials have advised their citizens to leave the country. The airport closed Saturday, but reopened Wednesday.

The U.S. government flew out about 25 people to Dakar, Senegal, while sending a 20-person military team into Guinea to increase embassy security, according to U.S. European command.

Opposition leaders say the ailing president -- he reportedly suffers from diabetes and a heart condition -- has let corruption overrun Guinea.

Its 10 million people, meanwhile, are impoverished and many live without the most basic public services, even though the country has half the world's reserves of bauxite, used to produce aluminum.