Guineans Celebrate Independence Day With Sadness, Says Journalist

Guinea's military junta is going ahead with plans for Friday's Independence Day celebration despite opposition calls for a total boycott. 

Eye witnesses say major streets in the capital have seen a face lift with soldiers handing miniature Guinea's flag to passer byes. 

The opposition is, however calling for an international military intervention to overthrow the junta despite its call for a unity government.

It also dismissed the junta's call for an investigation into this week's shooting death of scores of opposition supporters at a stadium in the capital, Conakry. 

Abbou Konate, an independent journalist said that Guineans are too scared to celebrate the country's birth following the killings.

"Today Friday is the independence day in Guinea October 2^nd because we got our independence in 1958, 50 years ago. This independence (day) will not be like a real party because people have been killed here and everybody is sad," Konate said.

He said supporters of the military regime could participate in the celebration.

"You know that the persons who support the junta maybe will go to the independence to celebrate and go to the party. But the majority of the Guinea population are very sorry for not taking part of this independence," he said.

Konate said Guineans are uncertain about the current situation.

"People (are) worried for their own security. The junta is killing everyday even now they are killing. So, everybody is afraid for himself and now there is killing and everybody is at home and they have been thinking about people who have been killed," Konate said.

He said the military administration is silent about today's celebration despite visible preparations.

"The junta did not say anything about the celebration, but they are preparing the streets you know painting, handing flags… but the junta is not saying anything about the Independence Day," he said.

Konate said there are indications that Guineans want the junta out of power.

"Everybody is thinking and everybody wish that the United Nations came with international force for the junta to leave the power because they are there to fend for themselves. They are killing people, they killed more than 150," Konate said.

He said Guineans reject the junta's call for a unity government.

"The majority if Guineans are not agreeing with this proposition because they are not confident in the junta no more," he said.

Konate said an opposition leader questioned the rationale behind the unity government's call.

"Yesterday one of the biggest opposition leaders Mr. Siyad Toure said that it is not important to have a unity government when people are being killed," Konate said.

Junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara seized power shortly after long time President Lassana Conte died December last year.

Guinea attained independence from colonial power France on October 2^nd 1958.