[A crowd crush at a football match in Guinea has caused multiple casualties, according to the country’s prime minister, Bah Oury. The incident occurred at a match between Labé and Nzérékoré teams in Nzérékoré, southeastern Guinea. The government has condemned the incident, with Oury stating that victims were recorded during the crowd crush. He added that the government is monitoring the situation and calling for calm to avoid hindering hospital services.
A social media video has emerged showing fans scrambling to escape the packed stadium, with some scaling a wall to flee. The number of casualties is not yet clear, but local reports suggest several deaths, including minors, with an anonymous local doctor citing dozens of deaths.
The match was part of a tournament organized by Guinea’s ruling military junta to support the candidacy of Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup and is eyeing a potential presidential run in 2025. Doumbouya is one of several figures who have seized power in the volatile region since 2020, as West and Central Africa have seen at least eight successful coups since 2020, raising concerns of a slide towards military rule in the resource-rich but poverty-stricken region.
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