Moussa Dadis Camara

28 September events

On 28 September 2009, opposition party members demonstrated in the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry, demanding that Camara step down. Although many branches of security forces were involved, the presidential guard "Red Berets", led by Abubakar "Toumba" Diakite, were responsible for the violence, firing on, knifing, bayonetting, and gang-raping the fleeing civilians, killing at least 157 people (U.N.) and injuring at least 1,200 not just in the stadium but as many fled on streets. In response to criticism from international human rights organisations, the government has said that only 56 people died and most were trampled by fleeing protesters. Following the event, cell phone photos from anonymous sources circulated on the Internet, showing what appears to be many women being raped by Camara's soldiers. Few women have spoken up about the attacks against them because of a societal stigma against the victims of sexual assault. However, Médecins Sans Frontières has confirmed that they have treated several rape and sexual violence victims of the incident. For a people already accustomed to violence, the rapes were nonetheless especially shocking as they took place in the open space, under broad daylight, and were horrifically violent and often mortal. According to numerous witness accounts, women were horrendously gang-raped using gun barrels and other objects. Some were raped then shot with the rifle barrel in their vaginas. The International Criminal Court is currently investigating the incident and the African Union asked for Camara's resignation.

In response to the incident, the Economic Community of West African States imposed an arms embargo on Guinea. The African Union, the European Union and the United States punished Moussa Dadis Camara and forty-one other junta members in late October 2009. The African Union imposed a travel ban and froze any bank accounts owned by the forty-two. The African Union's commissioner for peace and security said the sanctions were intended to punish the junta and would not affect areas such as trade which may impact on the lives of ordinary citizens.

Assassination attempt On 3 December 2009, Camara was shot by men under the command of his aide-de-camp, Abubakar "Toumba" Diakite. A government spokesman (Idrissa Cherif) said he was only lightly wounded, but anonymous junta officials said Camara was in a serious condition after being shot in the head. Camara's bodyguard and driver were killed in the attack.

On 4 December, sources told The New York Times that Camara had in fact left the country for medical treatment in Morocco, amidst claims by officials that he was not in serious condition.

Vice-president (and defense minister) Sékouba Konaté flew back from Lebanon to run the country. With Camara still in rehabilitation, the United States government expressed its desire to see Camara kept out of Guinea. Konaté was appointed head of the Transition regime tasked with the preparation of the 2010 presidential election, because: "All of Camara’s actions were ill concealed attempts to take over… we’re not getting that same sense from Konate," according to the United States Deputy Secretary of State William Fitzgerald.

On 16 December 2009, Diakite was still in hiding.

Exile On 12 January 2010, Camara was flown to Burkina Faso. After meeting in Ouagadougou on 13 and 14 January, on 15 January, Camara, Konaté and Blaise Compaoré, former President of Burkina Faso, produced a formal statement of twelve principles promising a return of Guinea to civilian rule within six months. It was agreed that the military would not contest the forthcoming elections, and Camara would continue his recovery outside Guinea. On 21 January 2010 the military junta appointed Jean-Marie Doré as Prime Minister of a six-month transition government, leading up to elections.

Moussa lived in exile in Ouagadougou. During this time he converted from Islam to Catholicism, changing his birth name of "Moussa" (Moses) to its French form, "Moïse". In October 2016, Camara retired from the presidency of his party, the Patriotic Forces for Democracy and Development (FPDD) and announced that he would not participate in the next municipal and legislative elections. He briefly returned to Guinea in 2013, crossing the land border from Liberia to attend his mother's funeral. Another visit was thwarted in 2015 after President Alpha Conde forced him to deplane a commercial flight during a stopover in Côte d'Ivoire. On 22 December 2021, Camara returned to Guinea.

Trial and imprisonment On 27 September 2022, Camara was imprisoned and tried for the 2009 massacre. Salifou Beavogui, one of Camara's lawyers, stated that the prosecutor had "take our six clients to the central house (prison) where they will apparently be confined until the end (of the trial)" and that "Very unfortunately, the trial is beginning with the violation of the rights of the accused". On 28 September, Camara and 10 other former military and government officials appeared in court.

On 4 November 2023, a heavily armed group broke Camara and three other officials out of the Conakry jail. During his escape, nine people, including three intruders and four members of Guinea’s defense forces were killed, and six others were treated for gunshot wounds. He was recaptured hours later. On 13 November, his trial resumed, having been suspended for three weeks due to unrelated reasons.

On 31 July 2024, Moussa Dadis Camara was found guilty of “crimes against humanity” in the massacres that occurred in 2009, and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. On 28 March 2025, he was pardoned by president Mamady Doumbouya, and left the country the following month for medical reasons.