GUINEA
CONFIDENTIAL
Report by HM Embassy Dakar
General Observations
Guinea is a police state. There are numerous stalinist practices such as show trials, forced confessions, theory of
'perpetual conspiracy' etc. Torture is often used. There is a witch-hunt on against the Peulh tribe who are alleged to be counter-revolutionary'. But there is not quite the mindless and vicious repression practised by the worst African governments such as Equatorial Guinea or Uganda. The trend is downwards towards repression because of the recent attempt on President Sekou Touré's life and the present campaign against the Peulhs.
Right No.
Rating suggested by Post
(i)
Most inmates of the 'Camp Boiro' have been imprisoned without trial. People often die in detention.
10
(ii)
Torture is often used to extract confessions.
10
(iii)
There is no slavery in the con- ventional sense.
0
(iv)
There is no freedom of speech. The government newspaper is confined to printing speeches, forced con- fessions etc. The general atmosphere of fear inhibits expressions of opinions.
10
(v)
The judiciary is totally subservient to the government.
10
(vi)
The unions are fully integrated with the party.
7
(vii)
There has been massive illegal emi- gration, especially in the 1960s.
7
There are 600,000 to 1m exiles, mostly
Peulh. Legal emigration is non-
existent, but practical failure to control the exodus deserves some recognition.
CONFIDENTIAL