Since the evening of March 11, the town of Kindia has been plagued by demonstrations against power cuts. Young people took to the streets in several neighborhoods to demand the return of power to households. Which turned into a tragedy.
Kindia was in turmoil Monday evening and the day of Tuesday March 12. While certain neighborhoods of this city are plunged into darkness, the situation has degenerated into clashes between young people and defense and security forces. It all started on the evening of March 11 when discontented people, deciding not to start the month of Ramadan in the dark, decided to make themselves heard in the street. Traffic cut off, barricades erected, tires burned in peripheral districts such as Abattoir, Sambaya, Wondi, Gare and Yéolé. Thus paralyzing courses in schools, businesses and administration.
The residents of these neighborhoods do not understand that the city center is served every day, while they are brooding. They took over the security forces, reigning as absolute masters of the place until late Tuesday morning. But everything changed when “land army” units were deployed in the city to support the police and gendarmerie. Tear gas versus stone throwing, chases within neighborhoods. Gunshots also rang out. Results, two deaths. Two teenagers whose bodies are at the Kindia Regional Hospital and around ten injured, some by gunshot. “We received 14 victims, 12 injured and 2 dead. Among the injured, there are five police officers and seven civilians. They are being taken care of,” explains Moussa Camara, communications manager at the Kindia Regional Hospital.
“The riots started just before prayer (8 p.m., editor’s note). The security forces tried to quell the movement, but they were quickly overwhelmed. Young people denounce the double standards that they have been experiencing for weeks in electricity supply. The city center has power every evening, the outlying districts are in the dark. EDG does not communicate,” explains a colleague based in Kindia.
The consequences of March 8?
Another source points out that the rebellious neighborhoods have been in the dark for almost three months, in total indifference. In light of the International Day of March 8 when the President of the transition, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, was announced, the company Electricité de Guinée has resumed regular service to the suburbs of the Citrus City. What a surprise ! But the next day, the light went away. That would have added fuel to the fire. Demonstrators attacked the EDG premises, the central police station and the Sambaya police station. Arrests? There were a number of them, some of whom were believed to be at Camp Kémé Bourama in Kindia.
These demonstrations come at a time when the new Prime Minister is working to find the right formula to bring power back regularly to households. After his meeting with players in the energy sector, Bah Oury announces the very imminent arrival of a boat with a thermal power plant on board.
Yacine Diallo
2024-03-12 17:05:29