Discontent in Guinea Nears Boiling Point [Free Registration May Be Required] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/world/africa/20guinea.html?em&ex=1172120400&en=d2ac13fce0478e02&ei=5087%0A UNHCR Plans to Repatriate Liberian Refugees From Guinea [Real Player] http://voanews.com/english/2007-02-20-voa27.cfm Call for lifting of stage of siege after week-long news blackout http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=21063 ReliefWeb http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6YM3JG?OpenDocument&rc=1&cc=gin Human Rights Watch: Guinea [pdf] http://hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=guinea The last several weeks have been particularly difficult ones for Guinea, and many residents of the country are openly expressing discontent with the ruling government of President Lansana Conte. Residents have good reason to be upset, as President Conte declared martial law and has also effectively shut down almost all of the nation’s media outlets, except for one radio station in Conakry, the country’s capital city. While Conte’s firm and dictatorial leadership of the country has meant that Guinea has remained stable for over two decades, he has also been seen as emblematic of the corruption that has beset a number of African countries since the end of the colonial period. A recent United Nations investigation also revealed that close to 80 percent of the weapons used in civil wars in both Liberia and Sierra Leone were funneled into the region with the assistance of corrupt Guinean officials. Speaking this week, Professor Djibril Tamsir Niane remarked, “There is the will for change. The entire population of Conakry was on the streets in January. It is the beginning of a new era.” The first link will take users to a piece from this Tuesday’s Guardian which talks about the growing number of clashes between the Guinean government and its citizens. The second link leads to a piece from the New York Times which provides first-hand commentary from Guineans on the current situation on the ground there. Moving along, the third link leads to a bit of reporting from Voice of America that discusses efforts that are underway to move Liberian refugees from Guinea into a more stable location. The fourth link leads to a press release from Reporters Without Borders that asks for a lifting of the state of siege in the country. The fifth link is offered by the ReliefWeb site, and it contains an interview with George Cunz of the International Committee of the Red Cross on the ongoing response from international humanitarian organizations. The final link will take users to the Human Rights Watch webpage dedicated to providing information about Guinea, including a report on human rights developments in the country.