PARIS: Guinea could face a civil war if the country’s military leader returns home, France’s foreign minister has said. Bernard Kouchner told French MPs that Moussa Dadis Camara should remain in Morocco where he is in hospital after an assassination attempt.

Earlier, the European Union toughened its sanctions against Guinea. It froze the assets of members of the military government and banned European companies from exporting equipment that could be used for state repression. The number of Guineans covered by a travel ban imposed in October, when the EU also brought in an arms embargo, has also nearly doubled. The move followed a leaked UN report yesterday, which said that Captain Camara should be charged with crimes against humanity over the killing of more than 150 opposition protesters at a stadium in September. It said the coup leader bears “direct criminal responsibility” for the killings.

Earlier this month Captain Camara, who came to power a year ago after

the death of long-time leader Lansana Conte, was shot and wounded by

one of his own soldiers on December 3.

He was flown to Morocco for treatment and has not yet returned to Guinea.