UN joins Guinean artist and opposition figure in appealing for release of his kidnapped relatives

The United Nations has expressed grave concern over reports of the kidnapping of several relatives of Guinean artist and opposition figure, Elie Kamano.

According to reports, armed men broke into the singer’s house in Conakry and took away four people, including two of his sons, who are both minors.

A spokesperson for the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged Guinean authorities to “take all necessary measures to ensure their immediate and safe return” and investigate their disappearance.

In a video posted on social media, Kamano, who lives in exile, appealed for his family members to be released.

He told reporters that he blames President Mamady Doumbouya for the abduction, and accused authorities of trying to “liquidate” him for political reasons. Kamano asked Doumbouya to release his family “and all the other people who have been abducted for a very long time.”

Guinea has been ruled by a military junta since September 2021, when it deposed then-president Alpha Conde in a coup. According to the UN, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and intimidation of opposition voices are on the rise.

The country will hold its first elections since the coup in December. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court cleared Doumbouya to run for the presidency. Former prime minister Lansana Kouyaté and former government minister Ousmane Kaba, have been barred from standing on technical grounds.