Clashes with the police in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, on Monday resulted in the deaths of two individuals, according to their families and medical sources. This incident occurred amidst a nationwide strike that has paralyzed the city and disrupted mining operations.
The strike has cleared main thoroughfares, closed banks, and shuttered markets, yet pockets of unrest emerged in residential areas on Monday. Groups of young men took to the streets to express their frustration with living conditions in the junta-led West African country.
The mother of 18-year-old student Mamady Keïta reported to Reuters that her son succumbed to a gunshot wound in the chest in the Sonfonia district. In another district, a 21-year-old motorbike taxi driver named Ibrahima Touré died from a bullet wound following clashes with security forces, according to his father. Hospital sources confirmed both fatalities.
While there was no immediate comment from the police, a senior police officer, speaking anonymously, acknowledged Keïta’s death without providing additional details.
The possibility of further unrest on Tuesday remains unclear, but the ongoing strike, encompassing the public, private, and informal sectors, is expected to persist. The demands of a coalition of workers’ unions include the reduction of food prices, the removal of internet restrictions, and the implementation of a wage deal negotiated with the government in November.
As of now, there has been no official response from the government, which was established by a military junta that seized power in a 2021 coup. The government has suppressed recurring anti-government protests, sometimes using force, in recent years.
Guinea, the world’s second-largest bauxite producer, witnessed a slight impact on alumina prices in China on Monday due to the strike, according to traders. However, the effect was limited for the time being, given the existing inventories in China.
