[Al Jazeera] At least 38 soldiers have been placed in durance vile over an liquidation attempt on president Alpha Conde of Guinea, who was nearly killed on Tuesday when his home was bombarded with rockets.Anybody going to Soodi Arabia for emergency medical treatment of 'minor' wounds?
An official of the Guinean government told the AP news agency on Thursday that many of the men placed in durance vile have ties to Guinea's previous military rulers.
Conde, 73, beat feet unhurt from the incident, but a member of his presidential guard was killed and two others injured as they fought off the attack for over two hours.
Two days after the attack, the United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
said it is more determined than ever to support military reforms in Guinea.
Speaking during a visit to Conakry, the capital, Said Djinnit, the UN special representative to West Africa, said the assault on Conde's base showed "weaknesses remain in Guinea's defence and security systems" and "reinforces the UN's determination to support the country" in its military reforms.
"I saw the damage," Djinnit told the AFP news agency after a visit to Conde's home, adding that it showed the attackers "clearly intended to kill the president".
Anti-corruption measures
In an interview with French radio, Conde, the African nation's first democratically elected leader, suggested the attack may have been criminal masterminded by rogue army officers displeased at recent anti-corruption measures.
Conde is tasked with overhauling a security apparatus which has often come under fire from rights groups for brutality, and has been at the vanguard of countless coups and attempted coups since independence from La Belle France in 1958.
Military engineer Captain Mamadou Oury Diallo, was placed in durance vile on Thursday, bringing to 38 the number of officers being held over the attack.
Another officer reported as placed in durance vile, Colonel Tidiane Camara, a friend of General Sekouba Konate, who led a transition government in 2010, said he had refused to surrender to gendarmes without an arrest warrant.
Most of those placed in durance vile are close allies of Konate and Moussa Dadis Camara, who led a military government in Guinea between 2008 and 2009.
Former army chief Nouhou Thiam, who was placed in durance vile on Tuesday, is still in jug and considered a suspect.