Albert Camara told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the violence was partly due to the large flow of arms in the region, and he raised the possibility that former rebels from Liberia as well as fighters trained under a former Guinean junta leader were involved.
Witnesses said the violence began 15 July in a village outside N'Zerekore when members of the Guerze ethnic group beat a young Konianke man to death after accusing him of stealing from a service station.
Officials previously put the death toll at 54. Residents began burying the dead in common graves shortly after the violence stopped, fueling rumors of higher fatalities.