Guinea’s Coup Leader,Mamady Doumbouya,Elected President in Disputed Vote
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Guinea’s former military ruler,Mamady Doumbouya,has been declared the winner of the presidential election,marking what the government calls the completion of a return to civilian rule.Provisional results announced Tuesday indicate Doumbouya secured 86.72% of the vote in the December 28 election, avoiding a runoff.
The election, held nearly three years after Doumbouya seized power in a 2021 coup, has been met with skepticism from opposition groups and international observers who cite restrictions on political freedoms and allegations of widespread fraud. The United Nations has voiced concerns over the limited political space in the country.
A coup and a Constitutional Shift
Doumbouya, a former special forces commander believed to be in his early 40s, overthrew then-President Alpha Condé, who had been in office since 2010. This action was part of a wave of nine coups that have destabilized West and Central Africa as 2020.Initially, the post-coup charter prohibited members of the ruling junta from running for office. However, a new constitution, approved in a September referendum, removed this restriction, paving the way for Doumbouya’s candidacy.
Despite initially pledging not to contest the election, Doumbouya ultimately ran and was widely expected to win, particularly with Condé and longtime opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo both in exile. He faced eight challengers, but the field was considered fragmented.
Resource Nationalism and Economic Shifts
Doumbouya’s campaign focused, in part, on leveraging Guinea’s vast natural resources – it holds the world’s largest bauxite reserves and the richest untapped iron ore deposit at Simandou. The Simandou project, officially launched last month after years of delays, has been championed by Doumbouya as a means to ensure Guinea benefits from its mineral wealth.
This focus on resource nationalism – a trend also seen in neighboring Mali, Burkina faso, and Niger – appears to have resonated with the population, particularly given the country’s young median age of around 19. The government has also taken steps to assert greater control over its resources,revoking the license of Emirates Global Aluminium’s subsidiary,Guinea Alumina Corporation,earlier this year following a dispute over a refinery,and transferring its assets to a state-owned firm.
concerns Over Election Integrity and Political Freedom
Official figures released by Djenabou Toure, Guinea’s top election official, reported a turnout of 80.95%. However, this figure has been questioned by opposition politicians and observers, who noted tepid participation in the capital, Conakry, and similar doubts surrounding the September referendum’s reported turnout.
Opposition candidate Faya Lansana Millimono publicly denounced the election as marred by “systematic fraudulent practices,” alleging that observers were barred from monitoring the voting and counting processes. The government has not yet responded to these claims.
According to UN rights chief Volker Turk, the campaign period was “severely restricted, marked by intimidation of opposition actors, apparently politically motivated enforced disappearances, and constraints on media freedom.” Civil society groups have also accused Doumbouya’s government of suppressing protests and curtailing press freedom.
The Supreme Court now has eight days to validate the results, should any challenges be formally lodged. Doumbouya’s victory grants him a sev
