Guinea's government declared a state of emergency and imposed an overnight curfew yesterday after three days of violence that followed the announcement of the result of its first free election since independence.
A rights group said it counted at least ten people killed and more than 200 wounded in the unrest, which broke out on Monday after opposition leader Alpha Conde was named winner of the November 7th presidential run-off.
The state of emergency gives police extra powers to keep law and order and will remain in place until legal disputes over election results are resolved, authorities said.
"In the interests of keeping peace, calm and national unity, a state of emergency has been declared, effective immediately, until the final confirmation of the results . . . by the Supreme Court," army chief Nouhou Thiam said on state television.
Mr Conde's rival, Cellou Dalein Diallo, is challenging the result in the Supreme Court, which has eight days from the publication of the result to give a ruling.
The poll was the former French colony's first free vote since independence in 1958 and is due to end almost two years of military rule since the death of strongman Lansana Conte.
Foreign firms which are investing billions of dollars to exploit Guinea's bauxite and iron ore deposits are hoping the poll can provide stability and legal certainty.
Despite his calls for calm as he challenges the result in court, some of Mr Diallo's mainly ethnic Peul supporters have taken to the streets, where they have repeatedly clashed with security forces and Mr Conde's mainly Malinke backers since Monday.
By evening, calm had returned to most parts of Conakry but there were still reports of shooting by security forces in Ratoma, a Diallo stronghold. Thiam said the army had been deployed to reinforce the police on the streets.
Reuters