Guinea: Organisations call for independent inquiry after six bodies found in Forécariah

Twenty West African civil society organisations have called for an “independent, impartial and transparent” investigation after six bodies were discovered in a mass grave in Forécariah, Guinea. The victims were found with their hands tied and blindfolded on 24 August.

The Defence and Security Commission said the matter must be fully clarified, while stressing that no definitive conclusions could yet be drawn.

A commission meets in extraordinary session

The Defence and Security Commission met in an extraordinary session on 29 August, chaired by Guinea’s Deputy Minister for National Defence, Ibrahima Kalil. The body reports directly to the presidency of the Republic.

It called for speculation and the spread of unverified information to be avoided, considering that they could disrupt the course of the investigation. The Forécariah prosecutor’s office had not yet commented on the case.

Concerns voiced by civil society

Signatories to the appeal include Tournons la page Togo, Y’en a marre in Senegal and Africtivistes. The coalition says it is concerned that previous investigations into serious human rights violations have, in its view, not led to results.

Alioune Tine, one of the coalition’s spokespersons, expressed scepticism about the judicial follow-up to the case, even though the prosecutor has been referred the matter. The organisations announced their intention to refer the case to regional and international bodies, including the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights of the African Union.

A previous discovery in the region

A first mass grave was discovered in October 2025 in the same region. The Defence and Security Commission says measures have been taken to conduct the investigation into this sensitive case.