Journalists Killed in 2014 - Motive Confirmed: Facely Camara

Liberté FM
September 16, 2014, in Womé, Guinea

The body of Camara, 21, a reporting intern for the privately owned local radio station Liberté FM, was found in a septic tank in Womé, a village near Guinea's south-eastern N'zerekore region, where the first cases of Ebola were documented in March 2014, according to news reports. The reporter was found alongside Molou Chérif, a technician for the community station Radio Rurale de N'Zérékoré, and Sidiki Sidibé, a technician intern, and other victims who included medical officers and a preacher. Some of their throats had been slit.

Camara, Chérif, and Sidibé had traveled to Womé to cover a delegation's public health awareness campaign in villages. The other victims were part of the delegation. In a statement released shortly after the attack, Damantang Albert Camara, a government spokesman, said residents began throwing stones at the group and, while some managed to hide and escape, others were killed.

Christophe Millimono, an editor at Radio Rurale de N'Zérékoré who was part of the delegation and managed to escape, told CPJ the group had been well received before being suddenly attacked.

Many villagers have accused health workers of spreading Ebola, according to the BBC. Thousands of people have died since the virus broke out earlier this year, the BBC reported.

Guinean authorities promised to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice, according to news reports. Alpha Diallo, a director at Liberte FM, told CPJ in late 2014 that authorities had made more than 40 arrests but had not charged anyone.