24/07/2026
Wives of Disappeared Guinean Activists File Criminal Complaint in Paris, Seeking International Investigation
PARIS/CONAKRY – The wives of two missing Guinean civil society leaders, Oumar Sylla, widely known as Foniké Menguè, and Mamadou Billo Bah, have filed a formal criminal complaint before a court in Paris with civil party status, seeking an independent international investigation into the enforced disappearance of their husbands.
The legal action is intended to prompt French judicial authorities to investigate the alleged abductions, which the families say were carried out by Guinean security forces in Conakry. The complaint also aims to ensure accountability and uncover the truth about the activists' fate after nearly two years without confirmed information about their whereabouts.
Sylla and Bah, both prominent members of Guinea's pro-democracy civil society movement, disappeared after being arrested during a security operation in Conakry in July 2024. Human rights organizations have consistently alleged that the two men were victims of enforced disappearance, while Guinean authorities have denied holding them.
By filing the complaint with civil party status in France, the families are seeking to trigger an independent judicial investigation beyond Guinea's borders, arguing that domestic efforts have failed to establish the truth or hold those responsible accountable. Human rights advocates say the move reflects growing concerns over impunity and the shrinking civic space in Guinea.
International rights organizations, including Amnesty International and other advocacy groups, have repeatedly called on Guinean authorities to reveal the activists' whereabouts, conduct credible investigations, and ensure justice for their families. They maintain that enforced disappearances constitute serious violations of international human rights law and continue until the victims' fate is clarified.
The latest legal action places renewed international attention on Guinea
