Guinea’s coup leader Mamady Doumbouya enters presidential race, breaking earlier pledge

Guinea’s military ruler Mamady Doumbouya has formally declared his candidacy for the December 28 presidential election, a vote billed as the country’s return to civilian rule but now clouded by the general’s reversal of his earlier promise not to run.

Doumbouya, 40, arrived at the Supreme Court in Conakry on Monday in an armoured vehicle, escorted by special forces, to submit his paperwork. He made no public statement but was greeted by thousands of cheering supporters chanting, “Mamady champion, Mamady president, Mamady already elected!”

The general, who seized power in a 2021 coup that ousted President Alpha Condé, had repeatedly vowed not to participate in elections organised under the military’s transition plan. But a new constitution, approved in a September referendum, has paved the way for his candidacy by removing earlier bans on members of the junta seeking office.

The revised charter also limits candidates to those aged between 40 and 80 and requires them to reside in Guinea, conditions that exclude Condé, 87, and former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, 73, both of whom live abroad.

Several civilian politicians, including ex–Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté and former Foreign Minister Hadja Makalé Camara, have also filed to run.

Opposition groups swiftly condemned Doumbouya’s move. The Living Forces of Guinea (FVG) alliance called it “a disastrous turning point in our country’s history,” accusing the junta leader of “trampling on the solemn commitments he made not to run.”

Since his 2021 coup, Doumbouya has tightened control over the country, banning demonstrations, jailing opponents and forcing others into exile. Several journalists have been detained, and independent media outlets shut down.

Guinea, a mineral-rich West African nation with vast bauxite and iron ore reserves, has endured decades of coups and authoritarian rule since gaining independence from France in 1958.