No information on clashes taking place on 3 February 1998 in the Kaporo district between the police and those opposed to the demolition of buildings could be found in the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

However, a number of articles report that clashes involving opponents of the renovation projects took place on 23 March 1998 in the Kaporo district. A 30 March 1998 AFP report states that nine persons were killed and 40 others seriously wounded during these clashes. According to the AFP article, violence broke out when thousands of persons refused to abandon their dwellings, which were to be replaced by streets and a government building complex (ibid.). Another AFP article cites an April 1998 press release issued by the Guinean Organization for Human Rights (Organisation guinéenne des droits de l'homme-OGDH), which accused the police of brutally beating several persons to death (13 Apr. 1998).

A 9 June 1998 AFP article reports that about sixty people were arrested following the clashes that occurred on 23 March 1998. The article states that subsequently, on 8 June 1998, the leader of the Union for the New Republic (Union pour la nouvelle république-UNR), Mamadou Ba, was sentenced to two months in prison, and that two UNR members of parliament were sentenced to five months in prison and a $1,000 US fine in connection with these events. In addition, the imam of the Kaporo mosque and two of his muezzins were sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of $200 US each (ibid.). The article adds that 24 other accused were sentenced to one year's imprisonment, and that 31 teenagers were found not guilty and released.

No information on the authorities' current reprisals against the individuals involved in the demonstrations of 23 March 1999 could be found in the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared by the Research Directorate after researching publicly available information currently available to the Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find attached the list of additional sources consulted for this Response.

Agence France Presse (AFP). 9 June 1998. "Deux mois de prison ferme pour le leader de l'Union pour la Nouvelle République." (NEXIS)

_____. 13 April 1998. "'Traitements inhumains' contre les citoyens après les affrontements de Kaporo." (NEXIS).

_____. 30 March 1998. "Opposition Leader Arrested after Bloody Guinea Clashes." (NEXIS)

Electronic sources: IRB databases.

Internet sources, including:

Relief Web. United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN).

World News Connection (WNC).

An unsuccessful attempt was made to contact an oral source before the deadline for this Response.