Guinea’s military ruler, General Mamady Doumbouya, has officially entered the presidential race. He submitted his candidacy for the December 28 election, which is meant to restore constitutional rule after the 2021 coup that brought him to power.
Doumbouya arrived at the Supreme Court in Conakry in an armored vehicle, accompanied by special forces. He submitted his documents quietly and left without addressing the media.
Outside the court, thousands of supporters gathered, chanting: “Mamady champion! Mamady president! Mamady already elected!” Many of them had traveled long distances by bus to show their support.
When Doumbouya seized power in 2021, he promised not to run for president. However, a new constitution, approved in a September 2025 referendum, now allows him to contest. The new rules require candidates to be between 40 and 80 years old and to live in Guinea.
These conditions effectively exclude two major political figures:
- Former President Alpha Condé (87), who lives abroad, and
- Former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo (73), currently in exile and facing corruption charges he denies.
Other well-known politicians, such as Lansana Kouyaté and Hadja Makalé Camara, have also submitted their candidacies.
Meanwhile, the opposition coalition Living Forces of Guinea (FVG) has condemned Doumbouya’s move. In a statement, it called his candidacy “a disastrous turning point” and accused him of breaking his word not to run.
Since taking power, Doumbouya’s military government has restricted civil freedoms, banned protests, and targeted opposition figures through arrests and forced exiles. Several journalists have also been detained, and media outlets suspended.
Guinea, a West African nation of about 14.5 million people, gained independence from France in 1958. It holds the world’s largest bauxite reserves and one of the richest untapped iron ore deposits at Simandou. Despite its mineral wealth, the country remains economically unstable and politically fragile.