Guinea: Military junta leader sworn in as president
The leader of Guinea’s military junta, General Mamadi Doumbouya, was sworn in as the country’s president on January 17th, as reported by Africa News via AP on January 18th.
African leaders and representatives of the African Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attended the ceremony at a brand-new 55,000-seat stadium on the outskirts of the nation’s capital, Conakry, where Doumbouya took an oath of office.
Reportedly, Doumbouya achieved 86.7% of the vote in the presidential election held on December 28th, 2025. The 40-year-old former middle-ranking soldier first took power in the 2021 military coup; he is currently the youngest African head of state.
Doumbouya’s election victory occurred despite his initial promise not to run for office and promise to move Guinea’s government from military to civilian rule by the end of 2024.
In 2022, Doumbouya accepted negotiations with ECOWAS to transition to elections within two years of taking power in the coup; this deadline was not met, and a transitional framework that barred junta members from contesting elections was introduced.
On November 10th, Doumbouya oversaw a constitutional amendment that lifted a ban on military leaders running for office and extended presidential terms from 5 to 7 years.
Under this new legislation from Guinea’s Supreme Court, Doumbouya was permitted to run for office, while potential rivals, such as former President Alpha Conde and former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, were barred from running due to age and residency restrictions; Conde and Diallo remain in exile.
The junta regime has faced criticism for its apparent crackdown on political opponents and dissent, with critics arguing that the junta sought to legitimise its rule through a referendum that would permit military leaders to run for office in September.
A turnout of 50% was required for the referendum to pass, with an estimated 6.7 million eligible voters having headed to the polls on September 21st.
In the weeks before the referendum, the military suspended three opposition parties, preventing them from speaking or holding public rallies.
Despite breaking his promise not to run for office, Doumbouya’s popularity is reportedly tied to his embrace of resource nationalism in a country that holds a vast iron ore reserve and the world’s largest bauxite reserves.
Although Guinea is rich in mineral resources, around half of its 15 million population is mired in poverty and experiencing record levels of food insecurity, according to the World Food Program.
Africa News via AP, Maghrebi.org
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