Guinea’s capital, Conakry, came to a standstill on Thursday as a protest movement commemorated three years since the military seized power in a coup, resulting in one fatality the day before.
The opposition in the West African nation has urged for a peaceful protest to condemn the junta’s suppression of dissent and to call for a return to civilian rule by the year’s end.
Despite the opposition’s calls, the military-led authorities, who came into power on September 5, 2021, continue to engage in harsh repression.
Junta leader Mamady Doumbouya has been sworn in as president and promoted to general.
All demonstrations were banned by the junta in 2022, and the crackdown on dissent led to at least 47 deaths between September 2021 and April 2024, as reported by Amnesty International. On Wednesday, a woman was fatally shot while in a taxi during clashes between police and protesters in the Sofonia area of Conakry.
Under international pressure, the junta had promised to transfer power to elected civilians by the end of 2024, but it has since shown intent to backtrack on this commitment.
Retired civil servant Malick Sidibe expressed his disappointment and anger, denouncing the junta chief for reneging on the pledge. He stated, “It is unacceptable that a colonel, now a general, cannot keep his promise without any pressure.”
Anoumane Camara, a doctor, echoed similar sentiments of disappointment, stating, “I don’t have the words to explain our president’s about-turn,” but expressing hope that the country’s leader could still surprise in positive ways.
General Doumbouya is in China for a summit alongside several other African leaders. No official activities are scheduled for the third anniversary of the junta’s rise to power, which ousted civilian president Alpha Conde, who had been in power for over a decade.
Under Doumbouya’s leadership, many opposition figures in Guinea have been detained, brought before the courts, or compelled to flee the country.
Two prominent anti-junta activists, Oumar Sylla (known as Fonike Mengue) and Mamadou Billo Bah, have been missing since July 9. Their pro-democracy movement alleged that the pair were forcibly arrested by armed individuals and condemned their disappearance as a “kidnapping.”
Guinea’s public prosecutor has refuted any arrests and ordered investigations into the disappearance of the two men. Their wives penned an open letter on Thursday “urging the people of Guinea and the international community to recognise the junta’s clear intention to eliminate our husbands”. They requested access to the men from the junta leader.
In a rare reaction from the international community, the US embassy in Conakry expressed deep concerns in late August about the disappearance and well-being of the two pro-democracy advocates.
On May 22, the authorities revoked the licenses of Guinea’s leading private radio stations and two television channels.