Guinea’s return to democracy in question as Junta leader joins race

Guinea’s military ruler, Mamady Doumbouya, has officially entered the country’s presidential race, submitting his candidacy on Monday for the December 28 elections, which are intended to restore civilian rule after his 2021 coup.

Doumbouya, who has ruled the nation since overthrowing former President Alpha Condé, arrived at the Supreme Court in an armoured vehicle under heavy security to submit his nomination papers. He did not speak to the press before leaving.

Thousands of his supporters gathered outside the court, chanting “Mamady champion, Mamady president, Mamady already elected!” as the general made his brief appearance.

Guinea, a resource-rich but impoverished West African nation, has endured decades of coups and authoritarian regimes.

The country experienced a brief democratic era after the 2010 election of Alpha Condé, who became its first freely elected leader before being ousted by Doumbouya in 2021.

Monday’s development comes amid widespread calls from Guineans and the international community for a return to constitutional order.

However, the opposition coalition, Living Forces of Guinea (FVG), condemned Doumbouya’s move, calling it “a disastrous turning point in our country’s history” and accusing him of breaking his earlier promise not to contest the presidency.

The general’s eligibility followed a September referendum in which 89 percent of voters approved a new constitution that paved the way for elections and allowed him to run.

Opposition groups had urged citizens to boycott the vote, labelling it a “charade” designed to legitimize the junta’s grip on power.

Since taking power at age 40, Doumbouya’s government has been accused of widespread human rights violations, the suppression of protests, manipulation of the judiciary, and corruption.

The junta has banned demonstrations, arrested or exiled opposition leaders, and shut down several media outlets.

“Doumbouya’s governance has been marked by massive human rights violations, blatant manipulation of the justice system, endemic corruption within its leadership team, and drastic restrictions on civil liberties,” the FVG said in its statement, urging citizens to resist “the destruction of our hard-won democratic gains.”

Other candidates who filed their nominations include Faya Millimono of the Liberal Bloc Party and Makale Camara of the National Alliance Front (FAN), a former foreign minister who dismissed claims that the election was a mere formality, describing such views as “narrow-minded.”

Also Read: Christian Killings: We are ready for action against Nigeria – U.S. Defense Secretary tells Trump

Guinea, a former French colony, gained independence in 1958, becoming the second sub-Saharan African nation to do so after Ghana.

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