Guinea Stadium Crush Kills 56 People after Disputed Refereeing Decision

People scramble in Nzerekore, Guinea, where local officials said a deadly stampede ensued at a stadium following fan clashes during a soccer match, December 1, 2024, in this still image obtained from a social media video. Social media via Reuters
People scramble in Nzerekore, Guinea, where local officials said a deadly stampede ensued at a stadium following fan clashes during a soccer match, December 1, 2024, in this still image obtained from a social media video. Social media via Reuters
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Guinea Stadium Crush Kills 56 People after Disputed Refereeing Decision

People scramble in Nzerekore, Guinea, where local officials said a deadly stampede ensued at a stadium following fan clashes during a soccer match, December 1, 2024, in this still image obtained from a social media video. Social media via Reuters
People scramble in Nzerekore, Guinea, where local officials said a deadly stampede ensued at a stadium following fan clashes during a soccer match, December 1, 2024, in this still image obtained from a social media video. Social media via Reuters

A controversial refereeing decision sparked violence and a crush at a football match in southeast Guinea, killing 56 people according to a provisional toll, the government said on Monday.

The fatalities occurred during the final of a tournament in honor of Guinea's military leader Mamady Doumbouya at a stadium in Nzerekore, one of the nation's largest cities.

Some fans threw stones, triggering panic and a crush, the government statement said, promising an investigation.

A video authenticated by Reuters showed dozens of people scrambling over high walls to escape.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official from the city's administration said many victims were minors caught in the turmoil after police started firing tear gas. The official described scenes of confusion and chaos with some parents retrieving bodies before they were officially counted.

Videos and pictures shared online showed victims lined up on the ground. In one video, over a dozen inert bodies could be seen, several of them children.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify that footage.

Opposition group National Alliance for Change and Democracy said authorities bore responsibility for organizing tournaments to bolster political support for Doumbouya in contravention of a transition charter prior to a promised presidential election.

There was no immediate response from the military junta to that accusation.



Beijing Complains to Tokyo about ‘Negative’ China References in Japan, US Communique

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba holds a picture with US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, US, February 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba holds a picture with US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, US, February 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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Beijing Complains to Tokyo about ‘Negative’ China References in Japan, US Communique

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba holds a picture with US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, US, February 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba holds a picture with US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, US, February 7, 2025. (Reuters)

China's foreign ministry said on Monday it had complained to Japan over "negative" references to China in a statement issued after a meeting between the leaders of Japan and the United States.

The "stern representations" and "strong dissatisfaction" was conveyed by the Department of Asian Affairs Director-General Liu Jinsong to the Japanese embassy's Chargé d'Affaires in Beijing, who explained to Liu Japan's position and reiterated the country's stance on its various concerns.

The embassy's statement did not elaborate on the discussions.

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held their first meeting last week in Washington.

According to a joint statement released by the White House, the two leaders expressed views opposing China's military actions in the South and East China Seas.

They also called for "maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait", and voiced support for "Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations."

Asked about the joint statement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused it of "attacking and discrediting" China and said it was "open interference in China's internal affairs". The statement exacerbated regional tensions, he added.

"We urge the United States and Japan to abide by the one-China principle and their own commitments and immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs," Guo said.

China views democratically-ruled Taiwan its own territory, and has staged several rounds of war games around the island in recent years to pressure Taipei.

Taiwan's government, which strongly objects to Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future, welcomed the joint Japan-US communique.

"We will remain steadfast in cooperating with the US, Japan and other global partners to advance regional peace and prosperity," President Lai Ching-te said in a post on X.