CONAKRY (AFP) -- Guinea came under growing international pressure on Friday to lift a state of martial law and allow an independent probe into alleged abuses during a crackdown on anti-government protests. In a statement issued by its embassy in Conakry, the U.S. government called for "the return of the military to their barracks, the restoration of basic freedoms, the resumption of dialogue and the restoration of civilian rule."

At least 113 people have been killed in the violent crackdown to counter weeks of mass protests against President Lansana Conte's rule.

The aged and ailing Conte, in power since 1984, responded to the political unrest by imposing martial law on Tuesday until February 23. The military patrol the streets of the country which is under an 18-hour curfew and conduct house-to house searches without warrants. The U.S. statement said Washington was deeply concerned by "credible reports" of serious human rights abuses, and condemned "the use of lethal force against civilian population, the abrogation of basic freedoms and the roll-back of the democratic process."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the security forces of abusing the martial law provisions to carry out killings, rape and theft.

"It is imperative that the Guinea government rein in the security forces and investigate and hold to account those responsible for recent abuses," said HRW's Peter Takirambudde.

But Guinea was defiant, rejecting European Parliament calls to create an international panel of experts to investigate the abuses.

"As of now a board of inquiry has been installed at national level, the question of an international commission does not arise," Justice Minister Alseny Rene Gomez told AFP. The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council on Friday joined Strasbourg in calling for an independent inquiry "to bring to justice the authors of the abuses and other acts of violence."

The U.S. statement said releasing the military onto the streets of the country was not helping the volatile situation.

"We call on all Guineans to use constructive political dialogue and the constitutional means at their disposal to bring about the changes necessary to resolve the crisis and to establish effective, democratic governance," it said.

Guinea itself was calm on Friday as the former colonial ruler France prepared for the evacuation of thousands of its nationals, as well as Lebanese and U.S. citizens.

The military deployment was lighter than in recent days and witnesses spoke of only sporadic elements of gunfire.

West African governments are to send envoys to Guinea in the coming days to try to end the crisis which experts have warned could deteriorate into a civil war that could spread to the country's neighbors.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and a separate possible mission from the African Union is to travel to Guinea, Ghana's President John Kufuor said on Friday.

Kufuor described the situation in the west African country as "very worrying" during a news conference held at the end of a two-day Africa-France summit held in the French Riviera resort of Cannes.