Guinea junta chief wounded in attack by soldiers

CONAKRY, (Reuters) – Guinea’s junta leader Captain  Moussa Dadis Camara was wounded in an attack yesterday by his  own soldiers, including the officer implicated in the Sept. 28  killings of pro-democracy protesters.

The attack happened as U.N. investigators in the capital  Conakry wound up their inquiry into the September crackdown, in  which more than 150 protesters were killed and scores of women  were raped by soldiers, according to witnesses.

The attack on Camara underlined the fragility of the West  African country, which is the world’s top exporter of the  aluminium ore bauxite and whose stability is seen as vital to  its neighbours.

“An unfortunate incident has been provoked by the Lieutenant  Aboubacar Diakite, alias “Toumba”,” a statement read out on  state television said.

Diakite is Camara’s former aide de camp, widely cited by  witnesses and human rights groups as a leading figure in the  September violence.

“President Moussa Dadis Camara was slightly wounded. Very  fortunately, his life is not in danger,” the statement said.

Separately, a witness in Conakry reported having seen Camara  walking around at a military base after the attack.

A security source in Senegal said it had sent an aircraft to  Conakry but did not say why. A junta spokesman declined to  comment on whether Camara was to be evacuated out of Guinea to  its neighbour.

Speaking by telephone, Communications Minister Idrissa  Cherif said Toumba had been “located” after the incident.

“Those that orchestrated this insurrection will be  punished,” he said.

Residents said gunshots rang out across the city as the  incident took place, but calm was restored and soldiers deployed  to guard strategic points, and main thoroughfares.

“What we are hearing is that they either arrested Toumba or  were going to arrest him and he shot at Dadis. There is no doubt  that this is linked to the investigation”, a diplomat said,  rfering to the U.N. inquiry which began in late November.

Camara came to power in a bloodless coup last December after  the death of strongman Lansana Conte. He initially promised to  allow a transition to civilian rule but has since delayed  elections and refused to hand over power.

His junta has been hit with international sanctions  including weapons embargoes, visa bans and freezes on foreign  bank assets.