–Former Liberian President Extends Solidarity as Conakry Disaster Leaves at Least 30 Dead
PAYNESVILLE, Liberia — Former Liberian President George Manneh Weah has expressed profound condolences to Guinean President Mamady Doumbouya, the Government and people of Guinea following a devastating landslide at the Dar-es-Salam landfill in Conakry that has killed at least 30 people and injured several others.
In a condolence message issued through his office on Tuesday, August 25, Weah extended sympathy to President Doumbouya, his government, the Guinean people and, particularly, families affected by the disaster. His office said the tragedy destroyed several homes and left six people critically injured.
Deadly Landslide Strikes Conakry
The disaster occurred in the early hours of Sunday, August 23, when heavy rains triggered the collapse of a massive mound of waste at the Dar-es-Salam landfill in Conakry’s Gbessia area.
The collapse sent tons of rubbish and mud into nearby makeshift structures and homes, burying residents as they slept.
Guinean authorities reported that at least 30 people were killed, while several others were injured, including six who sustained serious injuries. Search-and-rescue operations were launched immediately, with emergency personnel using heavy machinery to clear the debris and search for survivors.
Guinea’s Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the disaster site as rescue operations continued, while government agencies, security personnel, medical teams and humanitarian responders worked to recover victims and assist survivors.
The tragedy has also drawn attention to the vulnerability of communities living around the landfill, particularly during the rainy season.
Weah Shares Guinea’s Grief
In his message to President Doumbouya, Weah extended his “profound condolences” to the Guinean leader, his government, the Guinean people and, especially, families who lost loved ones in the disaster.
He also wished those injured a speedy recovery, saying he shares the grief of the victims’ families and the wider Guinean nation during what he described as a difficult period.
“It is my fervent prayer and hope that you, your Government and the people of the Republic of Guinea, including, but not limited to the bereaved and affected families, in your usual resilience, will take solace in God The Almighty, as you go through this challenging national period of your existence,” Weah said.
The former Liberian president expressed confidence that President Doumbouya, his government and the Guinean people would emerge from the tragedy with renewed hope and strength.
His message was not framed as a political intervention but as an expression of regional solidarity with a neighboring country confronting a major humanitarian tragedy.
Disaster Raises Fresh Questions About Landfill Safety
The tragedy has also renewed scrutiny of conditions around Dar-es-Salam, one of Conakry’s largest waste disposal sites.
The disaster occurred just days after Guinean authorities announced plans to close the landfill because of safety concerns and relocate waste management activities outside the capital. Residents living near the site had reportedly been issued eviction notices because of the danger posed by the unstable waste mound.
Despite those warnings, many residents remained in the area when the landslide occurred.
The latest disaster has therefore raised broader questions about urban planning, waste management and the vulnerability of low-income communities living near hazardous sites.
The incident is also not without precedent. A similar collapse at the Conakry landfill in 2017 killed several people, underscoring the recurring risks associated with the site.
Guinean authorities have indicated that remaining families in the vicinity will need to be moved to safer locations.
The current rescue effort has involved excavators, emergency workers and other personnel searching through the collapsed waste mound for victims and possible survivors. Reuters reported that rescue workers were still operating at the site on August 24, a day after the disaster.
A Message of Regional Solidarity
Weah’s message comes against the backdrop of longstanding historical, geographic and people-to-people ties between Liberia and Guinea, two neighboring West African countries.
The former Liberian president’s intervention places Liberia alongside Guinea at a moment of national mourning, as families search for loved ones and authorities work to recover victims and assist those who survived.
For Weah, the immediate focus was on compassion, prayer and encouragement for the Guinean people.
His office said he remains hopeful that President Doumbouya, his government and the people of Guinea will draw strength from their resilience as they respond to the disaster and support affected families.
The disaster, meanwhile, has highlighted the deadly intersection of heavy rainfall, unsafe waste disposal practices and vulnerable settlements in rapidly growing African cities.
As rescue operations continue and Guinea begins the difficult process of caring for survivors and bereaved families, Weah’s message serves as a reminder of the solidarity that binds neighboring countries during moments of profound national grief.
For the people of Guinea, however, the immediate challenge remains the search for victims, care for the injured and protection of communities still living in areas vulnerable to further landslides.
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