Over 100 Dead in Violent Football Fan Clash in N’Zerekore

At least 100 people lost their lives in a horrific clash between rival football fans during a match in N’Zerekore, Guinea’s second-largest city, on Sunday.

The violence reportedly erupted over a disputed referee decision, leading to chaos as fans stormed the pitch. Eyewitnesses described the scene as devastating, with angry protesters later vandalizing and setting fire to the N’Zerekore police station.

Harrowing Accounts

A doctor at a local hospital, speaking anonymously, described the aftermath as catastrophic. “Bodies are lining the floors of both the hospital and the morgue, which has reached full capacity. Additional bodies are scattered across hallways,” the doctor revealed.

Local media reports indicate the match was part of a tournament organized in honor of Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup and declared himself president.

These tournaments have grown in frequency as Doumbouya signals interest in contesting the upcoming presidential elections, despite previous commitments to transition Guinea back to civilian rule.

Mamadi Doumbouya, a former elite military officer, ousted President Alpha Conde in September 2021, pledging to return the country to civilian governance by the end of 2024. However, this promise has since been abandoned, with elections now postponed to 2025.

In January, Doumbouya promoted himself to lieutenant general and, more recently, to army general. His tenure has been marked by a crackdown on dissent, with opposition leaders arrested, exiled, or silenced.

Despite a “transitional charter” prohibiting junta members from running for office, Doumbouya’s supporters have begun to advocate for his candidacy in the upcoming elections.

The tragedy highlights the broader challenges facing Guinea, a country rich in natural resources but plagued by poverty and a legacy of authoritarian rule. N’Zerekore, located in southeastern Guinea with a population of around 200,000, has become the latest flashpoint for the country’s social and political unrest.

This violent clash underscores the tensions simmering under the surface of Guinea’s political landscape, exacerbated by Doumbouya’s controversial rule and the deep-rooted socio-economic challenges facing the nation.