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DIASPORA
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Anti-Government Protest in Guinea
Special to the NNPA from GIN
Soldiers opened fire on a group of students marching on the governor's residence in an escalation of anti-government protests over low salaries and high gas prices.
Two people died there and a third student was killed at the Oumar Drame primary school,'' said a witness, interviewed by Reuters news agency.
In another neighborhood of Conakry, the students sang and waved placards reading ''Change, Now or Never.''
The students accused police of looting empty campuses.
The nationwide strike, which began two weeks ago, was the latest action by unions opposing President Lansana Conte's disastrous economic management in mineral-rich Guinea.
Once a bulwark of stability in West Africa, Guinea is struggling with rampant corruption, a collapsing economy and a powerful but fractious military.
Analysts fear a dangerous power vacuum if Conte -- a diabetic in his 70s -- were to die.
Stores and government buildings are empty, even though the government said Sunday it had fulfilled the demands of protesters.
But the government said it would be ''merciless'' in dealing with troublemakers.
Another five-day strike took place earlier this year over soaring prices and crumbling infrastructure.
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