By Saliou Samb
CONAKRY (Reuters) - An International Criminal Court inquiry has found it is likely that crimes against humanity were committed during a bloody crackdown on protesters in Guinea last year, the ICC's deputy prosecutor said on Friday.
"As the deputy prosecutor of the ICC, I have gathered from this visit the feeling that crimes against humanity were committed," Fatou Bensouda told reporters.
"On the basis of the information that we have received from this visit, we will pursue our preliminary investigation," she added.
Guinean security forces on September 28 killed more than 150 people who had gathered at a rally opposing the ruling military junta, and raped scores of women, according to the United Nations and human rights groups.
Bensouda added that she felt the ICC had the right to intervene in the case, and insisted any prosecution of crimes against humanity must be pursued in a timely and independent manner.
The ICC is cooperating with local justice authorities in the West African nation, the world's No. 1 supplier of aluminium ore bauxite.
A United Nations report released in December blamed then-leader of the junta Captain Moussa Dadis Camara for the massacre.
Camara is convalescing in Burkina Faso after an assassination attempt by one of his own soldiers, and his deputy General Sekouba Konate has set up a transitional government tasked with setting elections.
Camara and his junta allied took power in a bloodless coup in December 2008.