VOA标准英语2009年-Burkinabe President Mediates Guinea Crisis

By Scott Stearns
Dakar
05 October 2009

The President of Burkina Faso is in Guinea for talks with military leaders and their political opponents as part of a regional mediation¹ effort following last week's killing² of at least 157 demonstrators.

 
Guinea's military leader Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, left, walks with Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, center, as he arrives at Conakry airport, 5 Oct 2009 
Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore is in Conakry for talks with military ruler Captain Moussa Dadis Camara and his political opponents as a facilitator for the Economic Community of West African States.

The regional alliance is hoping to ease political tensions in Guinea after last week's killing of at least 157 protesters demonstrating against Captain Camara's expected candidacy in presidential elections scheduled for January.

Human rights groups say security forces opened fire on protesters at Conakry's main sports stadium. Guinea's military government says 57 people were killed, most in the crush of protesters fleeing the stadium.

Captain Camara is denying any responsibility for that violence, saying he was not present at the stadium. He is blaming his political opponents for holding an illegal rally, saying they should have known that Guinea's military has what he calls "uncontrollable elements."

Captain Camara is now offering to form a government of national unity³ with political parties to oversee⁴ the transition to elections. But most politicians have rejected that offer, saying the military's violent repression⁵ of dissent⁶ makes internal dialogue impossible.

Former colonial power France says it is no longer willing to work with Captain Camara after what it calls such "terrible and savage⁷" violence.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told French television that the Sarkozy administration is working for an international intervention⁸ in Guinea because Paris can no longer work with Captain Camara.

Kouchner says France is consulting with Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua, who is the current chair of the ECOWAS alliance that sent Burkinabe President Compaore to Conakry.

1 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

4 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

5 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

6 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

7 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

8 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。