Outside the N'Zérékoré morgue on Monday, December 2, dozens of families are waiting to identify the bodies of their loved ones. They are also demanding answers as to how the football match that took place the previous day at the stadium in the city, Guinea's second largest, could have turned into a deadly trap for dozens, if not hundreds, of supporters. As of Monday evening, the provisional death toll stood at 56, with several others injured.
"The morgue is full," said a local doctor to Agence France-Presse anonymously, estimating that "there [were] around 100 dead." Several photos and videos circulating on social media show inert bodies on the floor inside the morgue.
On Sunday afternoon, teams from N'Zérékoré and Labé faced off in a match with symbolic stakes; the final of the "General Mamadi Doumbouya" trophy, a competition dedicated to the junta leader who came to power in a coup in September 2021. "The stadium was packed," said Moussa Kounady Camara, local correspondent for the news site Guinéenews. "It was a huge match. People were mobilized. Many didn't have access to the stadium. It was packed to the rafters," said a young man who attended the match but did not wish to give his name. Not only were the stands of the stadium, which had been under construction for 15 years, full, but the crowds also gathered at the edge of the pitch.
Two refereeing incidents derailed the match, which was attended by a government delegation represented by the Minister of Youth and Sport and the Minister of Agriculture. First, a red card midway through the second half, eventually rescinded after one of the ministers intervened with the referee. Then there was a contentious penalty, whistled in the last 10 minutes. This decision provoked the fury of Labé fans. Stones were thrown, and the pitch was invaded.
Law enforcement officers then fired tear gas, according to several sources inside the stadium, which provoked a large crowd movement. Videos show hundreds of spectators – a majority of minors – climbing the stadium enclosure to escape the crush. "It was a stampede. People headed for the only gate in the stadium, jostling each other... The weakest were trampled underfoot," said a young supporter, who lost a close friend in the stampede.
According to the same fan and another source, the motorcade carrying the government delegation rushed toward the stadium's only exit, knocking down several people as it went. This incident is said to have incensed the young supporters who, in retaliation, attacked the symbols of the State. "Later in the afternoon, rioters set fire to the first district police station and several government vehicles bearing the effigy of the junta leader," said a local official, who preferred not to be named due to the volatility of the situation.
You have 36.38% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.