The leader of Guinea's military junta, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, has undergone a small operation in Morocco following a failed attempt on his life on Thursday.

 
The country's military leaders say a bullet grazed Captain Camara's head but failed to injure him seriously. The attack has been blamed on one of the leader’s former aides, Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, better known as Toumba. The suspected attacker is still on the run. During Captain Camara’s absence the Defence Minister, Sekouba Konate, will rule the country.

Captain Camara came to power one year ago in a bloodless coup d'état following the death of former leader Lansana Conté. Initially he promised elections, but they have been constantly postponed and he has since been severely criticised for violating human rights. At the end of September, human rights organisations reported that more than 150 people had been killed and scores of women raped in a clampdown on demonstrations against him.

Photo of Captain Moussa Dadis Camara by EPA