The coup leader and interim president Mamady Doumbouya has the Presidential election in West African Guinea won. According to preliminary results from the electoral commission, the 41-year-old received 86.7 percent of the vote. This means he won an absolute majority; a runoff is not necessary. The vote is seen as the conclusion of the transition process after the military coup in 2021. The most important opposition politicians were excluded from the weekend’s election and had called for a boycott of the ballot.
The then colonel and commander of the special forces Doumbouya, now a general, had President Alpha Condé was overthrown in September 2021 and Guinea Since then he has served as interim president. Before that, he served for years in the French military on numerous foreign missions.
The military rulers had originally announced that they would not run in the election themselves. However, that promise was overturned by a new constitution adopted in a controversial referendum in September. The opposition accused Doumbouya of wanting to secure power.
Exclusion of the opposition from the election
The most important opposition politician and the largest opposition parties were excluded from the election. Critics also complain about restrictions on press freedom and harsh actions by security forces. Guinea’s military government has severely restricted civil liberties and demonstrations have been banned since 2022. Many critics were arrested, convicted or fled into exile.
According to the World Food Program, more than half of Guinea’s 15 million people suffer from poverty and food insecurity, even though the country is rich in natural resources. During the election campaign, Doumbouya campaigned on stability and economic development. Many Guineans are hoping for the Simandou mining project, one of the world’s most important iron ore deposits, which began operations in November. Guinea is also one of the leading exporters of bauxite, from which aluminum is made. However, in terms of health, education and general quality of life, the coastal state is one of the poorest states in the world.
In terms of foreign policy, Doumbouya, unlike the other military rulers in the region, maintained close relations with Western states, in particular France. With the formal completion of the transition, the country could return to the West African community of states Ecowas from which it was suspended after the coup.
