Guinea political collective calls off funeral protest

• The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) had called for a march.
• Thierno Mamadou Diallo was shot dead on June 1 during clashes.
• Relatives say he was not involved in the demonstration.

A coalition in Guinea has postponed a request for protests at the funeral of a young man murdered in last week’s riots, which sparked a resurgence of tension in the volatile country.

The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) had called for a march to coincide with the funeral of 19-year-old Thierno Mamadou Diallo.

He was shot dead on June 1 during clashes between security forces and demonstrators protesting at rising fuel prices. Relatives say he was not involved in the demonstration.

Read more: One killed in protest against petrol prices under Guinea military rule

In a statement, the FNDC said its protest call had been suspended but called on the public to maintain pressure on the authorities “so that no citizen will ever again be killed with impunity.”

Two of the victim’s relatives told AFP on condition of anonymity that the burial, due to take place in the suburbs of the capital Conakry, had been postponed.

Diallo was one of the first Guineans to be killed during a protest since the military overthrew Conde last September.

His death revived memories of dozens of Guineans killed between 2019 and 2021 during demonstrations against Conde’s plans for a third term.

Conakry’s public prosecutor, Alphonse Charles Wright, said he would release the results of a probe into the death on Monday.

In an announcement on Sunday, he also cautioned people against exploiting the funeral to demonstrate, warning that authorities would crack down “in case of problems” during the march.

The FNDC said in a statement that it welcomed the public prosecutor’s commitment to release the autopsy report and identify the culprits.

The ruling junta has promised to break with past practices.

However, its decisions to probe and detain notable Guineans, as well as to restrict protests until a three-year election, have caused growing anger with the country’s apparent dictatorship.

Read more: Guinea prosecutor deepens probe into protest killing