No fewer than 100 people were killed in violent clashes between rival football fans during a match in N’Zerekore, Guinea’s second-largest city, on Sunday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a doctor explained that the morgue had reached full capacity, with additional bodies strewn across hallways.
“There are around 100 dead,” the doctor said
Angry protesters also vandalized and set fire to the N’Zerekore police station, according to eyewitness accounts.
A witness, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, told AFP, “It all started with a disputed referee decision.
Then fans stormed the pitch.”
Local media reported that the match was part of a tournament organized in honor of Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who took power in a 2021 coup and has positioned himself as the country’s president.
These tournaments have become increasingly common in Guinea as Doumbouya hints at running in the upcoming presidential elections and as political alliances begin to form.