Guinea Protesters Gunned Down

Guinean soldiers opened fire on pro-democracy protestdrs in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, on Tuesday, killing 157 and injuring more than 1,000. Reports say that some of the presidential guard troops sexually assaulted women in the streets. The violent crackdown on the 50,000-strong rally has led to both increased international pressure on the government and increased nerves among mining companies operating in the West African nation. (When Guinea's president died in December, Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara seized power, promising not to contest new elections. He has since reneged on that promise.) This week's violence was condemned by the African Union, a rare step as the group usually does not criticize its members. And France has severed military ties with its former colony. But mining companies Rusal and Rio Tinto are keeping quiet, unsure who in the government will eventually triumph. Protesters had been chanting, "We want a true democracy."