The president of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), Cellou Dalein Diallo has vowed to “react with actions” challenging the arrest of some of the party’s leaders.
The UFDG cried foul over what its members see as a determination by Alpha Condé to “decapitate the party.”
Writing on its Facebook page, Cellou Dalein Diallo stated that “the UFDG considered the arbitrary arrest of its leaders a declaration of war and reserved the right to respond with actions commensurate with the affront”.
According to Diallo who was Conde’s main rival in the October 18 presidential election, the vice-president of his party, Chérif Bah, “was kidnapped very early this morning and taken to an unknown destination.”
Bah is one of the leaders of the UFDG and the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC) “wanted” by the justice system.
The opposition politicians are accused by the public prosecutor at the Dixinn Court of First Instance, Sidi Souleymane Ndiaye, of having “uttered threats likely to disturb security and public order” following the presidential election.
In his statement read on national television on Tuesday evening, Mr. Ndiaye also announced the opening of a “judicial inquiry into the possession and use of small arms and war weapons” which prompted searches to be conducted.
According to him, “78 people were presented to the judge” and weapons were seized.
Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, political advisor and communications officer of the UFDG, said on his Facebook page that “this witch hunt” by the prosecutor against them is regrettable.
He said it looked “as if he was dealing with criminals.”
While arguing that responding to justice is a civic act for a democrat even under a dictatorship, he promised to report on Thursday with his other colleagues and their lawyers to the judicial police in charge of the case.
ARD/te/lb/as/APA