West African leaders have imposed a weapons embargo on Guinea where tensions have been high between its military rulers and the opposition for some weeks.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been meeting in Nigeria for an emergency session on the crisis in Guinea and is calling on the European Union, the African Union and the United Nations to support the embargo. A mediation team has also been appointed in an attempt to prevent a civil war in Guinea.

ECOWAS condemned the Guinea regime's crushing of an opposition demonstration on 28 September which is reported to have left 150 people dead. The opposition is calling for the resignation of junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, who seized power in December 2008 and now wants to stand for the presidency in January 2009.

The European Union, the African Union and the United States are all calling for Captain Camara to go. The EU also says he should be tried for crimes against humanity.

photo: Moussa Dadis Camara (wikipedia)