Tragic violence erupted at a football match in N'Zerekore, Guinea's second-largest city, on Sunday, leaving dozens dead and hospital facilities overwhelmed with victims. Sources from local hospitals described scenes of mass carnage, with bodies filling morgues and hallways, and reports suggesting around 100 fatalities, though the exact toll remains unclear.

The violence reportedly began after fans invaded the pitch following a controversial referee decision during a match in a tournament honoring Guinea's junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup. The chaos escalated into widespread clashes, with demonstrators vandalizing and setting fire to a police station, according to witnesses and social media videos.

The match and tournament were seen as politically charged, tied to Doumbouya's efforts to solidify support ahead of anticipated presidential elections. Though Guinea's transitional charter bars junta members from running in elections, there is speculation about Doumbouya's potential candidacy.

Guinea's political situation remains precarious under Doumbouya's leadership, marked by crackdowns on dissent, detentions of opposition figures, and delays in transitioning to civilian rule. While he initially pledged a handover by 2024, recent actions and backer endorsements suggest a prolonged grip on power, with elections now pushed to 2025.

The tragedy highlights the ongoing tensions in Guinea, a resource-rich but impoverished nation, long plagued by authoritarian rule and instability. N'Zerekore, a city of about 200,000 people, has previously seen episodes of unrest, reflecting the broader volatility in the region, where coups have unsettled other West African nations like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.