Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaore, the regional mediator in the conflict, on Monday invited the junta and the opposition parties for talks in Ouagadougou to ease the tension in the west African country.

After an all-day meeting, where tempers occasionally flared, an umbrella group of political parties, unions and civil society organisations presented six preconditions for participating in talks with the military rulers.

The conditions include "the resignation of the junta leader, the dissolution of the National Council for Democracy and Development (junta) and the setting up of an transitional organ that will appoint a government of national unity," a statement said.

The opposition also called for the arrest of those responsible for the September 28 massacre, when Guinean troops opened fire on protesters in a Conakry stadium, killing more than 150 people, and raped women.

With many protesters still missing eight days after the bloodbath, the opposition demanded the return of victims' remains to their families and the release of those arrested during the demonstration.

The demonstrators had gathered to rally against the prospect of Camara becoming a candidate in January presidential elections.

International pressure on the junta has been mounting since the massacre.

"We were appalled and outraged by the recent violence in Guinea," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday.

"The indiscriminate killing and raping that took place under government control by government troops was a vile violation of the rights of the people," she said.

Rights groups and the United Nations say more than 150 people were killed and women were raped by soldiers in the crackdown. The authorities have given a death toll of 56, while Camara has denied responsibility for the bloodbath.

Camara seized power in December last year after the death of Guinean strongman Lansana Conte, who had ruled the resource-rich country since 1984.

Earlier on Tuesday one of Guinea's main opposition leaders, Cellou Dalein Diallo, called for the arrest of all soldiers who took part in the massacre.

"The main mission of the junta, when there's a bloodbath like that, is to put the assassins behind bars," said Diallo by telephone from France, where he was taken on Friday for care in a military hospital near Paris.

"A certain number of the assassins are well identified. We saw them firing on the people in the stadium" where 157 people were killed and about 1,200 injured according to Guinean rights groups, Diallo said.

Diallo said had seen "people falling by dozens". There have been many reports of women being raped by soldiers.

Camara has declared himself "very, very sorry" over the soldiers' actions. He described the bloodbath as the work of "uncontrolled elements" of the army but also blamed the opposition for defying a ban on protest rallies.

earlier related report
Guinea leaders 'cannot remain in power': Clinton
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that Guinea's military junta must recognize "they cannot remain in power" after she voiced outrage over killings and rapes.

Her comments come as pressure mounts on the regime from both the Guinean opposition and the international community.

"We were appalled and outraged by the recent violence in Guinea," the chief US diplomat told reporters when she appeared outside her offices in Washington with visiting Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

UN officials and human rights groups say more than 150 people were killed during a September 28 protest in Conakry over the prospect of junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara becoming a candidate at presidential elections early next year.

The authorities have given a death toll of 56, while Camara has denied responsibility.

"The indiscriminate killing and raping that took place under government control by government troops was a vile violation of the rights of the people of that country," the chief US diplomat said.

Clinton said Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson has made clear to the Guinean leadership that Washington "intends to pursue appropriate actions" against the government in Conakry, but did not elaborate.

She showed a measure of support for Guinea's opposition, which said Tuesday it would only hold talks with the junta after Camara steps down and those responsible for a massacre of protesters are arrested.

The leadership "owe a profound apology" to the people who had gathered in peaceful protest against the military takeover of the country in December last year, she said.

"They owe not only that apology in words but in a recognition that they cannot remain in power, that they must turn back to the people the right to choose their own leaders," she said.

Camara seized power in December last year after the death of Guinean strongman Lansana Conte, who had ruled the resource-rich country since 1984.

Clinton also said "there should be an effort to bring those who were the leaders and perpetrators of the murders and rapes to justice very shortly."

Her spokesman Ian Kelly said Carson and his deputy William Fitzgerald conveyed "deep outrage" to Camara and Guinea's foreign minister Alexandre Cece Loua.

"They called on Captain Camara to restore order, ensure better command and control over the security forces, and permit an international investigation into these events," Kelly said.

"The UN and the international community must act now to end this crisis," Kelly said.

When asked what concrete action could be taken to make the Guinean junta toe the line, Kelly said the United States intended to work with its allies and partners, including France and Burkina Faso, the regional mediator.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has said it seemed it was no longer possible to work with Camara.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News