Guinea’s former army chief and a few other military leaders are facing drug trafficking charges and will appear in court in a few days, the BBC reports.  Ex General Diarra Camara, and his son, Lt. Amara Camara are among the 20 people charged. In addition, eight Nigerians, a Ghanaian and an Israeli are also facing charges. The arrests come after they were investigated for months by the West African nation’s military officials. Nations in the region have become hot spots for drug trafficking, especially cocaine from Latin America, reports the BBC.  

Over 150 Inmates Escape From Nigerian Jail
After breaking a hole in the prison’s ceiling, over 150 inmates escaped from Nigeria’s Enugu prison. Guards saw prisoners jumping over the wall from the roof of a cell block. Officials were able to capture and return all of the inmates but 20. According to authorities, the aging prison is overcrowded. Prisoner contempt was also a motive for the mass escape. “The prisoners who escaped were agitated at the serious delays in the judicial process,” Olushola Ogundipe, the Comptroller General of Nigeria’s prison service, told reporters. Out of the total 987 prisoners at the facility, 724 have not been convicted, reports the BBC. “You know the inmates, everyone wanted their case to be heard. We are still bringing the situation under control,” Ogundipe said. In addition, prisoners often struggle living hot, cramped filthy cells.  Authorities are currently reviewing inmate cases and releasing those who were wrongly jailed. The chief judge was set to return Friday to complete the prisoner release program. No word on whether the prisoners who tried to escape would still be up for release, reports the news service.

No More Burning Thieves Alive, Guinea Rights Group Says
Human rights group in Guinea are firing back after a member of government suggested that robbers be burned alive. Capt. Moussa Tiegoro Camara proposed the highly controversial idea at a meeting to discuss security in the nation’s capital city Conakry with other officials. “I am asking you to burn alive armed bandits who are caught red-handed,” he said, reports Reuters. The nation’s prisons are too overcrowded, he said. “Our jails and our correctional centers can no longer take in people and the situation cannot carry on like this.” But rights groups called the proposal “unacceptable” and “intolerable,” adding that the nation’s laws should not be disregarded. Crime has been on the rise in the capital recently, reports the BBC. After the country’s longtime leader, Lansana Conte, passed away last year the country has stepped up its fight against drugs and corruption, the news service reports.

 Tens of thousands of Guinea citizens mourned the death on Friday of a man seen as both corrupt and as a lesser evil than war. Lansana Conte, who took leadership of the African nation in 1984, created stability that many preferred over the civil conflicts that were taking place in nearby countries. Conte died this week at age 74. His passing leaves Guinea in political turmoil.

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Guinea coup leader declares himself president. Not too long after the death of longtime President Lansana Conte, the leader of a military junta that subsequently took over the government, Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, declared himself president of the country’s National Council for Democracy, reports CNN. The move, in effect, makes him the president of Guinea. Camara also instituted a curfew from 8 p.m. until 6:30 a.m for citizens, during the announcement made on the radio. He also suspended the government, constitution, political parties and unions, according to African journalist reports CNN. The nation’s Parliament currently is negotiating with the military, according to Africa News reporter Mamdo Dian Donghol Diallo. Despite the changes, the country seems calm, he says. “For the time being the situation is calm and negotiations are underway. There is no traffic. Everyone is staying inside their homes.” But international groups, like the African Union, have come out against the coup.