Guinea: Toumba Diakité formally charged

Guinean commander Toumba Diakité has been formally charged with several counts by Guinean justice, a few days after his extradition in the capital, Conakry, Guinea’s justice minister Cheick Sakoh announced on Wednesday.

He has been accused of voluntary wounding, complicity in murder, rape and torture among others.

Targeted by an international arrest warrant for his alleged involvement in the military massacre of more than 150 opponents in 2009 at Conakry, he was arrested on December 16, 2016 in Senegal, then extradited to Guinea on March 12.

According to a release from the Department of Justice, Toumba Diakité appeared on Monday before a judge who confirmed his identity.

The next day, he was presented to the “pool of investigating judges in charge of the crimes committed on September 28, 2009, who notified him about his charges.

NGOS for the defense of human rights and the Association of victims, relatives and friends of September 28, 2009 massacre have welcomed the unfolding developments against Diakité, a former aide to Dadis Moussa Camara, then leader of the junta, who is also being investigated in relation to the incident.