CAMARA, ANOTHER CRAZED-OUT AFRICAN BUTCHER?

Africa the cursed continent, has once again sprout up another petty blood-thirsty dictator? A man who would spill the blood of so many of the people of Guinea he swore to protect, without bating an eyelid? As usual, he came heralded into Conakry as the long awaited and expected messiah, only to now morph into a blood-sucking vampire, feasting on the blood of the innocent citizens of the country?

It would appear he is walking the same forbidden path, previously threaded by other African dictators of yore? From Milton Obote to Idi Amin to Mobutu Sese Seko, to Yoweri Musevini, to Charles Taylor to Nigeria's own Sani Abacha; the list is just endless! Urchins who forced themselves on the peoples of Africa, and visited on them untold mayhem and hardship! Today, the same monstrous mother of 'Africa-nemesis' has reared one of its children from hell, in Conakry Guinea; his name, Moussa Dadis Camara (MDC) and he evil!

On Monday, the thugs and goons of Moussa Dadis Camara in uniforms, and using weapons bought with Guinean tax-payers' money, murdered 158 innocent Guinean citizens in cold blood! Their offense, what other civilized peoples of the world take for granted - peaceful assembly and a pro real-democracy rally?

Added to the tally were another 1200 citizens who suffered from one form of injury to another; including mangled limbs, gorged out eye-balls, broken noses and lacerated body-parts. It was also alleged that security forces stripped some female protesters naked and raped them publicly in the streets just to 'teach' them a lesson? Some of the women, according reports, were also sexually molested with rifle-butts? Majority of the protesters were stabbed with knives and bayonets.

According to reports reaching Icheoku.com from Conakry, Army Captain Moussa "Dadis" Camara's Presidential guard troops opened fire on about 50,000 protesters, chanting "we want true democracy;" people who were merely protesting the juntas' intention to stand for election in the forthcoming January presidential election in Guinea? Icheoku says, may be Nigerians would have borrowed a leaf from these brave Guineans, and protested Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo's ill-fated second coming to Nigeria's presidency? But with the massacre of Monday, at the main football stadium in Conakry, it would appear that dictators merely engage in shifting-chairs games in Africa? It is now apparent with the insidious massacre of Conakry on Monday, that another dictator has just succeeded the bygone, deceased dictator Lansana Conte; thus shattering to smithereens, the hopes of many Guinean citizens that at last, the yokes of dictatorships are being shed?

In the marauding government's usual contriving, lying manner, Guinea's Interior Ministry claimed that "only" 4 out of the 57 dead were actually killed by their own government-thugs' bullets; while the rest of the 53 died as result of trampling and asphyxiation? Icheoku says, whether by bullet or asphyxiation or trampling, no Guinean ought to have died just for protesting; it should not have happened in the first place but for the junta of Conakry, who went out of his way to forcibly silence peaceful democracy-rally organised by the opposition?

If according to the crocodile tears presently being shed by Moussa Dadis Camara, that "those people who committed those atrocities were uncontrollable elements in the military," Icheoku asks, why is somebody who cannot control 'his' army as their commander-in-chief, still holding court in Conakry? In his words, "Even I, as head of state in this very tense situation, cannot claim to be able to control those elements in the military." Really, what a shame and he is head of a functioning government?

It will be recalled that Moussa Dadis Camara is the third dictator to preside over Guinea since independence! He forcibly succeeded President Lansana Conte, who died in office after a 25 year dictatorship, last December 22, 2008. Conte had himself succeeded Ahmed Sékou Touré who died in 1984, having ruled himself since Guinea's independence from France in 1958! As is often with his ilks, Camara came to power on a populist yearning, but has since shed his coat of humanity and in its' place, adorned his true color's coat of a menacing prowler - another infantile African mean dictator!

Now there is tension in the land as a result of his rumoured lack of desire to get off the stage in Conakry; insinuating that he will run in presidential elections scheduled for January 31, 2009? Not helping matters at all, Camara who initially debunked the rumour, has recently said "he has the right to run if he so chooses." Icheoku says, do you smell any rat here? The usual double-speak of an emerging dictator, who is deftly plotting and consolidating his soon to be 'vice-hold' on the people of Guinea? It is only through strong-arming the people of Guinea will this man ever preside over Guinea peacefully, as he has murdered sleep and cannot sleep any more. In the words of one Guinea man-on-the-street, "Dadis Camara's political career, if he had any ambition, is gone. He has made an own goal; the killing of all these innocent protesters can only mean doom for his political ambition." Icheoku says, what a summation of a people who are fed up with the muzzle of dictatorship, and now want to be free!

It would appear that the dictator has had it up to his neck with the restive people of Guinea, being on edge, acted out to bare his fangs? Late last month, Camara's policemen fired tear gas to disperse a demonstration in the capital Conakry; again, just last Thursday tens of thousands of residents in a town north of Conakry took to the streets but with no serious reprisals from Camara's goon-bahs; but unfortunately, the Monday protesters miscalculated as they ended up not being as lucky; their attempt to voice out their dissent was met with ferocious clamp-down by Moussa Dadis Camara's armed thugs, resulting in the massacre of 158 Guineans! Icheoku says, what a "Bloody Monday in Conakry!"

Coincidentally, the strong-man of Guinea has rather strange likeliness to so many erstwhile Nigerian dictators; some of who have been incontrovertibly compared to him? Like the late Nigerian henchman, midget Sani Abacha, Moussa Dadis Camara is nocturnal; he is a night-owl and being a vampire, hates the sunlight! He also wears very dark sun-shades similar to Abacha's trade-mark goggles; should he venture out before sunset! Like Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Moussa Dadis Camara is vainglorious, and has several very expensive and commissioned life-size portraits of himself, adorning virtually everywhere in his "presidential" palace? Finally, like Olusegun Obasanjo, Moussa Dadis Camara is not particularly pleasant to behold, he is rather very ugly and is also alleged human he-goat! What coincidental traits, he shares with three Nigerian dictators.

Icheoku says, like every other African country suffering from the curse of bad and inept leadership, Guinea is not spared. Since gaining independence from France in 1950, it has been pillaged by its ruling elite which props the juntas, ruthlessly suppressing the people ever since. Guinea's 10 million citizens are among the world's poorest people, despite the abundance of mineral resources underneath their soil, including diamonds, gold, iron and half the world's reserves of base-aluminum. Icheoku asks, what is it, how can it be explained or possibly reconciled; two conflicting positions that in great abundance, many are still suffering; but to blame it on the curse of Africa! As Guinea mourns her 158 dead, killed by her own government armed-thugs in uniform, and under the watchful eye of her Army Captain Mousssa Dadis Camara, Icheoku says, take heart, we share in your sorrows!