GUINEA
GUINEA: Presidential elections: 3 deaths following peaceful protests
On Monday, 20 October, candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo declared himself president-elect following the provisional results of the presidential election that took place on 18 October in Guinea. He was the main opponent of outgoing President Alpha Condé, whose candidacy for a third term is strongly contested.
This is the end of the ballot box for the first round of the presidential election. This Monday, October 18, the Guineans went to the polling stations to elect their new president. Cellou Dalein Diallo leader of the UFDG and main opponent, faced Alpha Condé in this democratic batail.
Following the provisional results and even before the official publication of the votes cast by the CENI, the UFDG candidate claimed victory. “My dear compatriots, Despite the serious anomalies that marred the smooth running of the election on 18 October and in view of the results out of the ballot box, I emerge victorious from this election in the first round. I thank the ANAD Member Parties, the many Movements and Associations that supported my candidacy and all the people of Guinea for this expression of trust. I invite all my fellow countrymen who love peace and justice to remain vigilant and mobilized to defend this victory of democracy.” he declared.
However, this statement immediately aroused great indignation among the ranks of the government. In a statement, the Guinean state denounced this act, calling it “irresponsible, undemocratic, and anti-republican.” International organizations also reacted immediately. In a joint statement, the UN, ECOWAS and the AU considered these remarks “regrettable” by calling the population to “calm”.
However, clashes broke out in the streets of Conakry. The self-proclaimed president Cellou Dalein Diallo, denounced the death of three of his supporters who celebrated his victory.Sympathizers who are said to have fallen under the bullets of the security forces. “As young people were peacefully celebrating my victory in Conakry, the SDF fired at the crowd, resulting in the death of three young boys and several wounded by bullets.I offer my condolences to their families and condemn in the strongest terms these new crimes to be carried out by Alpha Condé.” did he say
According to CENI, the results of the first round of the presidential election should be known “by the end of the week”. It will then be around the Constitutional Court to validate them.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Morissanda Kouyaté, received this Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Conakry a delegation from the African Union, on an official visit to Guinea. On this occasion, he reaffirmed the commitment of the transitional authorities to respect the deadlines set for the return to constitutional order, while stressing the historical and central role of Guinea in the construction of the Pan-African project.
« I am very happy. The African Union is at Guinea’s side to accompany and support the vision of the head of state, President Mamadi Doumbouya, in favor of Guinea and Africa, in the political, diplomatic, economic, and cultural fields, declared the head of Guinean diplomacy.
This meeting takes place in a context marked by the preparations for the constitutional referendum scheduled for next September 21.
Morissanda Kouyaté also recalled the founding involvement of Guinea in the creation of the Organization of African Unity, which became the African Union. “This visit materializes the commitment of the Peace and Security Council to accompany Guinea in a dynamic of ambitious political and diplomatic transformation,” he stressed.
The minister indicated that all actions related to the transition are currently funded by the national development budget, while calling for a broader mobilization of the international community. “We have requested a round table, called the Basketfront, to seek support to speed up the process. But this does not mean that we will give up,” he said, reiterating President Doumbouya’s willingness to scrupulously respect the scheduled deadlines.
He finally wanted to reassure on the efforts made to ensure an inclusive electoral process. “We are going through a difficult period, and that is why we want all Guineans to be registered in order to obtain a reliable electoral roll,” concluded Morissanda Kouyaté.
Source: guinee360 / Photo credit: Page Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guinea
A court in Conakry on appeal sentenced a Guinean opponent to two years in prison on Wednesday for “offense and defamation” against the junta leader, one of his lawyers told AFP.
Aliou Bah, president of the Liberal Democratic Movement (Model), has been in custody since December 2024. He was sentenced at first instance in January to the same two-year prison term for “offense and defamation” against General Mamadi Doumbouya.
The public prosecutor had requested a five-year sentence on appeal on 22 April 2025.
The Attorney General of the Court of Appeal, Fallou Doumbouya, had considered that the sentence handed down at first instance was “excessively derisory”. At the opening of his appeal trial in late March, Mr. Bah had pleaded not guilty: “I do not acknowledge the facts that are reproached to me,” he said before the court.
According to his defence, Mr. Bah is accused of having, during meetings, “called the religious leaders (Guineans) out of their silence” on the situation in Guinea, and described as “incompetent” the CNRD, the governing body of the junta.
“The trial judgement was confirmed” on Wednesday by the Court of Appeal, which handed down a two-year final sentence against the opponent, Hady Galissa told AFP.
He specified that a consultation of the defence lawyers would decide whether or not to appeal in cassation before the Supreme Court. AFP journalists were prevented from entering the courtroom by the gendarmes.
This conviction of Aliou Bah takes place in a tense climate, marked by the disappearance of several opponents to the military regime and a severe restriction of freedoms in this West African country.
Demonstrations demanding the departure of the military are regularly banned and several media have been closed in the country.
General Doumbouya took power by force in September 2021 after ousting the civilian president, Alpha Condé, who had been in power for more than ten years.
Sources: seneweb
On Saturday, 10 September 2023, the Nigerian junta accused France of planning an aggression, explaining that Paris «continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS countries». «We do not recognize any legitimacy to the statements of the putschists», replied Emmanuel Macron since the G20 summit in India. Within ECOWAS, the possible military intervention against the perpetrators of the coup d’état at the end of July in Niamey remains an eventuality, even if obviously, we do not hurry.
The boat that had to transport Senegalese troops and others to participate in a possible military intervention against the Nigerien junta should have docked a few days ago at the port of Cotonou. But that is not the case. An interlocutor in the Presidency of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) comments: “There are still adjustments to be made.”
In fact, according to our information, the Senegalese troops are ready, but are waiting for the decision of the politicians. Some wonder: has President Macky Sall changed his opinion on the issue?
Ghana has also agreed to provide troops. They are ready, even if observers wonder: this country facing enormous economic difficulties, does it really have the means to finance the departure of its soldiers to the front?
Nigeria remains. President Bola Tinubu, at first, was the most determined to restore constitutional order in Niger by force if necessary. Abuja is the locomotive of a possible military intervention. But for the past few weeks, Nigeria has taken a step forward and then a step back.
Recall that at the end of August, and for the first time since the beginning of the crisis in Niger, the President of Nigeria and current head of ECOWAS evoked the possibility of a transition «if the military power [in place in Niamey] is sincere». Remarks transcribed in a statement on 30 August by the Nigerian Presidency and denied by ECOWAS had to deny the idea of a «transition calendar»And this, while Nigeria is considered from the beginning as one of the engines of a potential military intervention in Niger.
