1 killed in Guinea and others wounded despite appeal for calm

Soldiers killed one young person and wounded several other people in Conakry, witnesses and a doctor said Saturday, despite appeals for calm following days of political violence. But it was not immediately clear whether the shootings on Friday evening were linked to demonstrations by the opposition calling for transparency during May 12 legislative elections. A 15-year-old boy went to buy bread when soldiers "opened fire on him from point-blank range," a member of his family told AFP. A witness and a doctor said 13 people were wounded, including one who died in a hospital. Security forces "fired live rounds on well-targeted people who were not protesting in the neighbourhood" of Koloma, a witness said. "They're continuing to fire live rounds on the population. I confirm that one of the young people wounded died this (Saturday) morning at the Mother and Children Clinic" in Conakry, doctor Abdoulaye Barry, who heads a hospital in the suburb of Dixinn, told AFP. It was the third death since mass opposition protests erupted Wednesday, which prompted both UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Guinean President Alpha Conde to call for calm on Friday. Violence broke out during a Guinean opposition demonstration in Conakry Wednesday, leaving some 130 people wounded including 68 police, Guinea's security minister said. A student later died of his wounds, a hospital source said. Meanwhile, the government said a police officer died of his wounds suffered in the protests. Thousands had gathered for Wednesday's demonstration to demand transparency in elections scheduled for May 12 and protest against the South African company selected to revise the electoral roll. The vote in the troubled West African country was due to have taken place in 2011 and has been postponed several times already. On Thursday, clashes took place between security forces and young people in suburban neighbourhoods of the capital deemed favourable to the opposition. On Friday, those selling mainly automobile spare parts clashed with food sellers.