After 4 years of military rule, Africa’s largest bauxite-producing nation prepares for elections

BusinessinsiderMar 5, 2025Read original

Guinea’s military junta has announced plans to end its rule with general elections set to take place this year, marking the conclusion of four years of military governance.

Guinea has been under military rule since September 2021, when 41-year-old Colonel Mamady Doumbouya led a coup against then-president Alpha Condé, citing rampant corruption, human rights violations, and economic mismanagement under his administration.

According to Bloomberg, Guinean Prime Minister, Amadou Oury Bah confirmed to reporters that "the return to constitutional order will be effective in 2025."

He added that a constitutional referendum is expected, with legislative and presidential elections to follow within a reasonable timeframe.

The long and turbulent reign of Guinea’s former president, Alpha Condé, set the stage for the 2021 coup, which sought to restore stability in Africa’s largest bauxite-producing nation.

Condé became Guinea’s first democratically elected president in 2010, marking the end of decades of authoritarian rule under his two predecessors, who collectively governed for 50 years.

However, his controversial decision to amend the constitution in 2020 to secure a third five-year term sparked widespread public outrage, ultimately leading to his removal.

Announcing the coup on September 5, 2021, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya stated that the military had no choice but to intervene due to rampant corruption, human rights abuses, and economic mismanagement under Condé’s leadership.

Guinea's military leaders, under international pressure, initially promised to hold a constitutional referendum and transfer power to a civilian government by the end of 2024.

However, they failed to fulfill these commitments, and instead, opposition figures and civil society members faced increasing arrests and legal action.

Despite

that military leaders would be barred from participating in a new government, speculation is growing that Colonel Mamady Doumbouya will run in the upcoming presidential election.

TheAfrica Center for Strategic Studiesreports that the junta plans to hold a constitutional referendum in May 2025, paving the way for elections that Doumbouya is likely to contest.

This development raises concerns about the transition to democratic rule in Guinea, which has been delayed multiple times.

The international community, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has been pushing for a return to civilian rule.