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A slaughter of people was carried out on Monday in Guinea’s capital Conakry, following a meeting organized by pressure groups in the country including civil society, trade unions and political parties.

Protestors suffered fatal attacks in the biggest stadium of Conackry for saying “no” to the  candidacy announced last month by the head of junta, Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, for the presidential elections set for January.

The magnitude of the carnage was clear with medical reports saying over 150 people were killed and many more injured, among them former prime ministers of the country, Sidya Toure and Cellou Dalein Diallo.

Despite the ban by the junta, which had been announcement on national radio and television networks on Sunday evening, protestors took to the streets in defiance.

Very early on Monday, an estimated 50,000 people were streaming towards the stadium, where security forces were also deployed. Police and soldiers began to charge towards the crowds of people and shoot at point-blank range all the protesters who were already in the stadium.

“Down with the army and conmen,” one of the placards read.

Monday evening, the head of junta made a brave declaration about the events. He said: “I am sorry for the disgraceful things that happened in Guinea, where I took power without shedding of any blood.”

Also in the evening, a press statement from the office of Guinea News Agency read: “Despite a clear demand of suspension of the protests by the government and without proper authorization in conformity to the law, irresponsible groups took advantage of the national holiday to conduct violent political protests against CNDD and the government.”

The clash is the worst since the military junta seized power in a coup hours after the death of president Lansana Conte in December.

The situation is volatile in tensions not only in Guinea, but between the military junta and the outside world.

After the riot, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged “Guinean national authorities and the security forces to exercise maximum restraint and to uphold to the rule of law, including respect for basic human rights.”

The latest report from Paris said France decided to suspend its military cooperation with the authorities in Guinea.

The European Union, the United States, the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) have condemned the crackdown on the demonstrators.

The AU and the ECOWAS respectively suspended Guinea’s membership as part of sanctions soon after the military coup in Guinea.

The massive killing came in the culmination of standoff between the military junta and its opponents.

The opposition forces in Guinea comprising trade unions, political parties, civil society and non- governmental organizations already threatened to boycott the junta’s involvement in the election before the latest incident, which scuttled the fragile consensus for a presidential vote to end the crisis.

The standoff between the opposition and the military junta went ugly after Camara, who until May confirmed no part in the future presidential election, announced his candidacy in August to spark an outcry from the opposition, especially the United Forces for the Democratization of Guinea.

The junta leader insisted that nothing could bar him from aspiring to the top seat in Guinea as long as the people still want him.

The opposition threatened to “bring out everybody to the streets” in protest against him.

On Aug. 27, riots broke up in Conakry between security forces and young protestors against Camara’s plan to run in the election. The clashes led to injuries and several arrests.

Camara and his ruling National Council of Ministers of Democracy and Development (CNDD) were not supposed to run in the upcoming elections negotiated with the International Group of Contact on Guinea.

Guinea won independence from France in 1958. Rich in mineral resources such as bauxite, gold and iron ore, the world’s top bauxite exporter and the second biggest producer attracts billions of dollars in mining investments from foreign firms, including Rio Tinto Alcan, Alcoa and Russia’s United Company Rusal.

The country, however, is placed the 160th of 177 countries in the development survey by the United Nations.