Officials in the second Guinean city of N’Zerekore have told reporters that 12 people have been killed and 50 others left wounded in ethnic violence in the city.

Unconfirmed reports say the violence erupted when guards from the Guerze ethnic group killed a man from the rival Konianke group whom they accused of stealing.

Petrol station guards from the Guerze ethnic group allegedly beat to death the young Konianke man whom they accused of stealing and thereafter, the violence spread.

The Guerze people are mostly Christian while the Konianke are Muslims and are believed to be close to neighboring Liberia’s Mandingo ethnic community.

But political analysts say the country has a long history of ethnic tension between the two groups and swift measures need to be taken to end the situation.

President Alpha Conde reportedly declared curfew on the city in a live televised address and called for calm in what he described as unity to be able to hold long-delayed legislative election in September this year.

“The town of N’Zerekore has witnessed events resulting in a loss of human life, several wounded and important damage to property. Faced with this situation, I call on the population for calm’’, president Conde said.

Local reporters say the situation has been brought under control for now by the security forces but there is some level of uncertainty the violence could erupt again after the curfew.

Mining firms have signed multi-billion dollar deals in a bid to secure untapped mineral assets in the country but political instability and ethnic violence such as this has led to some investments being left abandoned by international investors.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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