A controversial refereeing decision sparked violence and a crush at a soccer match in Guinea, killing 56 people, authorities say.
The background: The crush broke out Sunday afternoon at the stadium in the town of Nzerekore during the final of a local tournament between teams from Labe and Nzerekore in honor of Guinea’s military leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup.
Among the victims were several children, according to local media and a coalition of political parties.
A witness, Amara Conde, who attended the match, said a disputed red card in the 82nd minute of the match started the violence.
The key quote: “The stone throwing started and the police joined in, firing tear gas. In the rush and confusion that followed, I saw people falling to the ground, girls and children being trampled. It was horrible.” —Amara Conde.
What else to know: The opposition coalition National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy said the tournament was organized to rally support for the military leader’s “illegal and inappropriate” political ambitions.
There was no immediate response from the military junta to this accusation.
Doumbouya’s junta has proposed a two-year transition to elections from 2022 after negotiations with the West African political and economic bloc, but has shown little sign of intent to stage a vote, fueling public frustration and occasional deadly protests.
What happens next: Authorities are conducting an investigation to establish who was responsible for Sunday’s leak, Communications Minister Fana Soumah said in a statement read on national television.