An investigative journalist was abducted by men wearing security force uniforms in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, his wife and lawyer confirmed on Wednesday. The incident comes as the military regime intensifies its crackdown on independent media in the West African nation.
Habib Marouane Kamara, editor-in-chief of the investigative outlet lerevelateur224.com, was reportedly seized on Tuesday evening while en route to meet a friend and a businessman. His wife, Mariama Lamarana Diallo, told reporters that they were stopped by men in a pickup truck dressed as security forces.
“They broke the rear windshield and dragged my husband out of the vehicle,” Diallo said, visibly shaken. “They beat him with batons until he lost consciousness, then threw him into their truck and drove away.” Kamara’s friend was also forced into the police vehicle but was later released and has gone into hiding.
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Since the abduction, Kamara’s whereabouts remain unknown, and his wife has not heard from him. “I am speechless,” Diallo said, tears in her eyes. Kamara’s lawyer, Salifou Beavogui, confirmed the family’s distress and said no contact had been made with Kamara since the incident.
The abduction of Kamara comes amid heightened scrutiny of Guinea’s military junta, which has been in power since 2021, following a coup that ousted President Alpha Conde. The junta, led by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, has faced increasing criticism for suppressing dissent and limiting press freedom. Rights groups have highlighted growing concerns over media repression, with journalists facing attacks, arrests, and suspension of news outlets.
Guinea is one of several West African nations, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where military regimes have seized power and delayed the return to civilian rule. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has urged the junta to restore democratic governance, with elections tentatively set for 2025.
Kamara’s abduction underscores the risks faced by journalists in Guinea, where media pluralism is increasingly under threat. Reporters Without Borders condemned the growing hostility towards the press, noting that obstruction and violence against journalists are becoming “dangerously commonplace.”
