Army commander convicted of Guinea stadium massacre dies in prison

Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, also known as Toumba, died early on Wednesday in hospital following a medical emergency, according to authorities. The prison administration said he died in custody. He was serving a 10-year sentence for his role in the 2009 stadium massacre in Guinea's capital, Conakry, in which more than 150 people were killed as they demanded an end to military rule. At least 109 women were also raped.

While in custody, Diakité created a political party and attempted to run for president. Last year, he declared his intention to stand in the presidential elections, which was rejected by the Supreme Court after it ruled he was ineligible. At the time of the massacre, Diakité was commander of the presidential guard and a close ally of Guinea's then military ruler, Moussa Dadis Camara. According to the prison administration, Diakité was declared dead at the Samory Touré Military Hospital in Conakry, where he was taken late on Monday. Citing his medical report, the administration said he presented symptoms characterised by gastric swelling, abdominal pain and constipation. One political expert likened his death to "the end of an era", telling the BBC: "He died, but the full truth died with him."

Tens of thousands of people had gathered at a stadium on September 28, 2009, to protest against the possibility of Camara running for president. On Camara's orders, security forces opened fire on the crowd. Camara survived a shot to the head shortly after the massacre, which was blamed on Diakité, according to the AFP news agency. Diakité later fled the country and in December 2016, he was arrested in Senegal. A year later, he was extrad