Guinea’s Military Leader Doumbouya Declares Presidential Bid for December Elections
General Mamady Doumbouya, Guinea’s military leader, has announced his intention to run for the presidency in the December 2024 elections, defying a 10-point transition roadmap previously agreed upon with ECOWAS.
Doumbouya, who ousted former President Alpha Conde in a bloodless coup in September 2021, declared his candidacy despite Guinea’s earlier stance on a democratic transition. The move contrasts with Guinea’s unique position among West African military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, as the country had not withdrawn from ECOWAS nor joined the alliance of the other military juntas.
The recent declaration has raised concerns about Guinea’s democratic process, with ECOWAS yet to issue an official response. Diplomatic sources suggest that the junta leader may face pressure to support a non-transition member as a presidential candidate.
Guinea, rich in natural resources, has a complex political history, transitioning from socialism under its first civilian President Sekou Toure to a mixed economy under President Lansana Conte, and later facing a constitutional crisis with Conde’s attempt to extend his rule. Doumbouya’s decision to contest has cast uncertainty over the democratic path Guinea had pledged to follow.
