A devastating outbreak of violence at a football match in N’Zerekore, Guinea’s second-largest city, has left dozens of people dead, according to hospital sources. The clashes occurred on Sunday, with eyewitnesses describing scenes of mass carnage.
Hospital sources reported that the local hospital and morgue were overwhelmed with bodies, with one doctor estimating that around 100 people had lost their lives. Another doctor confirmed that there were “dozens of dead.”
Videos circulating on social media, which have not been verified, showed chaotic scenes outside the match, with numerous bodies lying on the ground. Angry demonstrators also vandalized and set fire to the N’Zerekore police station, according to witnesses.
The violence erupted after a disputed decision by the referee, prompting fans to invade the pitch. A witness described the scene, asking to remain anonymous for safety reasons.
The match was part of a tournament organized in honor of Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup. Such tournaments have become common in the West African nation as Doumbouya eyes a potential run in presidential elections expected next year.
Doumbouya seized power by force in September 2021, overthrowing President Alpha Conde. Under international pressure, he pledged to hand power back to a civilian government by the end of 2024, but has since made clear he will not.
The military leader has promoted himself to the rank of army general and has presided over an ongoing crackdown on dissent, with many opposition leaders
