56 dead in football stadium stampede in Guinea

A football stadium in southern Guinea was the scene of a devastating tragedy on Sunday when 56 people, including several children, were killed in a stampede following clashes between supporters, reports the Associated Press.

The incident occurred during the final match of a local tournament between the Labe and Nzerekore teams at the Nzérékoré stadium. The tournament was organised in honour of the country’s military chief, Mamadi Doumbouya.

The incident was confirmed by Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah on X, who said that the regional authorities were working to restore calm to the region. The Minister of Communication, Fana Soumah, announced in a statement broadcast on national television that the authorities had opened an investigation to identify those responsible for the stampede.

The local news website Media Guinea reported that the violence erupted after a disputed penalty decision, which angered fans who began throwing stones. Security forces responded by deploying tear gas, which contributed to the chaos that followed.

Footage showed fans protesting against the referee’s decision before clashes broke out and people threw themselves onto the pitch. Many tried to escape by jumping over the stadium’s high fence. Other images showed many of the injured being treated in a local hospital, where some victims are still in a critical condition.

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The opposition Alliance nationale pour l’alternance et la démocratie has called for an investigation into the incident. It criticised the organisation of the tournament, suggesting that it was intended to support what it described as the ‘illegal and inappropriate’ political ambitions of the military leadership.

Since 2021, Guinea has been under military rule, when soldiers led by Mr Doumbouya ousted President Alpha Condé from power. Guinea joins several other West African countries, including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, where military rulers have taken control and delayed the transition to civilian governance.