CONAKRY, Guinea, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- If Guinea's military leader, Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, stays in power, efforts to return the country to democracy could be stifled, a U.S. official said.
The United States has been pressing Guinea's military junta to step aside so a transition government could be named and prepare for democratic elections, Afrol News, an independent news agency, reported Wednesday.
A U.S. official told the news agency if Camara returns to power, progress made in the African country would be blunted.
Last week, deputy leader Gen. Sekouba Konate asked opposition parties to nominate a prime minister to head the government and prepare for elections, which had been scheduled for Jan. 31, Afrol News said.
Camara arrived in neighboring Burkina Faso Tuesday, after being treated in Morocco for a gunshot wound to the head he received Dec. 3 from one of his aides. Camara seized power in a bloodless coup in December 2008, and pledged he wouldn't seek re-election but recently indicated he may run for president outright.
Guinea has faced sanctions from regional and international organizations for failing to return to civilian rule after Camara seized power. International criticism increased after more than 150 opposition supporters were killed in a stadium in Conakry, Guinea's capital. Human rights organizations said the massacre was carried out by the country's elite Presidential Guard.
