Guinea Junta Leader Mamady Doumbouya Declares Self Civilian President After Widely Criticised Election

Conakry, Guinea- Guinea’s military ruler, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has formally emerged as the country’s civilian president after securing an overwhelming victory in a controversial presidential election widely viewed as a bid to legitimise his continued grip on power.

Doumbouya, who seized power in a September 2021 coup that toppled President Alpha Condé, was declared winner with 86.72 percent of the vote in the December 28 poll, according to provisional results released on Tuesday.

Aljezeera reports that the figure gives him an outright majority and eliminates the need for a run-off election.

The Supreme Court is expected to validate the results within eight days should no formal challenge be upheld.

The election marked Guinea’s first since the military takeover and capped a four-year transition process that critics say was carefully engineered to keep Doumbouya in power.

Despite earlier assurances that neither he nor other military officers would contest future elections, a constitutional referendum held in September cleared the path for his candidacy and extended the presidential term from five to seven years.

Since taking control, Doumbouya has faced persistent accusations of stifling dissent and dismantling opposition structures.

Key political figures, including former President Condé and longtime opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, remain in exile, while critics argue that the political space inside the country has been deliberately narrowed.

Out of nine candidates, Doumbouya faced no heavyweight challenger. His closest rival, Yero Baldé, a little-known former education minister under Condé, polled just 6.51 percent.

The General Directorate of Elections claimed a voter turnout of 80.95 percent from Guinea’s 6.7 million registered voters.

Observers and civil society groups have, however, raised serious concerns about the credibility of the process.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said the campaign was “severely restricted,” citing intimidation of opposition figures, alleged enforced disappearances and heavy constraints on media freedom.

Opposition candidate Faya Lansana Millimono alleged that the vote was marred by “systematic fraudulent practices,” claiming election observers were blocked from monitoring voting and ballot counting. The Guinean authorities have yet to respond publicly to the allegations.

Doumbouya has sought to bolster his image through a strong nationalist economic agenda, particularly in Guinea’s lucrative mining sector.

The country holds the world’s largest reserves of bauxite and vast untapped iron ore deposits at Simandou, a long-delayed project officially launched last month.

His administration has moved to tighten state control over natural resources, including revoking the licence of Guinea Alumina Corporation, a subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium, and transferring its assets to a state-owned company following a dispute over refinery development.

Similar resource-nationalist policies adopted by military-led governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have helped shore up domestic support for juntas across the Sahel and West Africa.

Despite his electoral victory, Doumbouya’s transformation from coup leader to elected president is unlikely to silence critics who insist that Guinea’s democratic institutions remain deeply compromised under military influence.