In Guinea, the trial of the 28 September 2009 massacre continues against the backdrop of revelations and accusations between leaders of the former military junta, the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD).After his first court appearance on Wednesday 25 January, Colonel Blaise Goumou was again appeared in court on Monday January 30.

In his testimony, the Guinean gendarmerie officer denied, once again, having taken part in the massacre of 157 people and the rape of a dozen women.

At the time of the events, Blaise Goumou was a member of the Special Services, a unit in charge of intelligence and investigations into drug traffickers and organised crime, headed at the time by one of his co-accused, Captain Moussa Tiegboro Camara.

The gendarmerie officer acknowledged his presence at the 28 September stadium on the day of the events, but blamed Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, known as Toumba, and his men. “I saw Toumba and his men shoot and enter the stadium,” insisted the accused, who washed his hands of the scene.

The prosecution tried to demonstrate the officer’s involvement in the September 28 massacres.

According to one of his lawyers, Me Amadou DS Bah, the men under the responsibility of Tiegboro perpetrated the killing in the same way as the red berets and the “Kaleya” militia, recruits considered at the time as the armed arms of Moussa Dadis Camara to remain in power.

The civil party explained that the modus operandi was to commit these crimes with bladed weapons. “That is why some had machetes, others knives and bayonets. Several people were killed with knives to camouflage the wounds and prevent examinations of possible ballistic examinations,” added the lawyer who accused Moussa Dadis Camara of being “the main architect of the massacres. “He wanted to stay in power,” he charged the former head of the junta (2008-2009).

For the lawyers of Colonel Blaise Goumou, the civil party has no evidence proving the involvement of their client in this mass killing.

“No civil party has denounced or identified Blaise Goumou in the process of committing such an offence against the criminal law. They searched, they saw nothing …,” said Yaramocé Saoromo who promises to deliver a real version of the facts to demonstrate legally the “not guilty of their client, so that he can be released as soon. 

At the request of the “tired” accused, the hearing was postponed to Tuesday, January 31, 2023 for further discussions.