Guinea president accuses neighbours

President Lansana Conte of Guinea has accused what he calls a syndicate of African leaders of supporting armed incursions into his country from neighbouring states.

In an address broadcast by state radio and television, President Conte said that the neighbouring leaders had been attracted by the mineral wealth of Guinea.

He named Presidents Charles Taylor of Liberia and Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso, and said there were others.

President Taylor has rejected similar allegations in the past, and in turn has accused Guinea of backing armed dissidents in northern Liberia. Correspondents point out that since early September, there have been violent clashes between Guinea's armed forces and unidentified bands of rebels along the country's borders with Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Hundreds of civilians in southern Guinea have been killed, and tens of thousands of others have fled their homes.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service