Guinean authorities have suspended a high-ranking official following an outcry over public threats made against individuals criticising the country’s military leader, General Mamady Doumbouya.
The suspension was announced in an official statement on Monday.
Kandia Mara, the prefect of the eastern Kankan region, was suspended for what was described as “gross misconduct,” according to a statement broadcast on the state television channel RTG and shared on its social media platforms.
While the exact reason for his suspension was not specified, Mara’s threats during a recent ceremony were widely condemned.
Last week, Mara warned that anyone who defaced a memorial to junta leader Doumbouya would face the same consequences as a doctor who died in custody after allegedly burning a portrait of the general.
The doctor, Mohamed Dioubate, was arrested in September for reportedly setting fire to Doumbouya’s portrait at a roundabout in Kankan. He was the third detainee to die in custody within three months, with authorities stating the cause of his death as unknown.
Mara’s remarks were viewed as a direct reference to Dioubate’s case, which has raised concerns about human rights and the treatment of detainees under the junta.
Two other opposition figures have been missing since their arrest in July, further heightening fears of a crackdown on dissent.
The junta, led by General Doumbouya, took power after a coup in September 2021 that removed civilian president Alpha Conde.
Since then, Doumbouya has become president, and the government has put strict rules in place to silence opposition, including a ban on protests in 2022.
Many opposition leaders in Guinea have been arrested, taken to court, or forced to leave the country.