Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Guinea’s capital, Conakry, on Monday, showing their backing for the country’s military junta, led by General Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup.
The protesters marched on foot from the November 8 Bridge to the People’s Palace Square in central Conakry. The demonstrations were coordinated by teacher unions, with educators donning white uniforms emblazoned with images of General Doumbouya, along with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Primary Education.
The Prime Minister’s office confirmed the participation of several government officials in the protests, including the Minister of Primary and Higher Education and members of the Prime Minister’s office staff, via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Support for the current military-led government came from political and cultural figures aligned with the ruling junta.
Constitutional Referendum
Slogans calling for the continuation of the transitional leadership echoed through the streets as protesters expressed their backing for a constitutional referendum scheduled for September 2025.
The protests come amid mounting external and internal criticism faced by the military junta, particularly over its delay in holding presidential elections and handing power back to civilian authorities. The junta has also been accused of politically motivated arrests, including the recent two-year prison sentence handed down to opposition leader Aliou Bah, head of the Democratic Liberal Movement.
Opposition groups claim the military junta has resorted to arrests as a tactic to silence critics of the country’s deteriorating living conditions, exacerbated by the struggling economy.
Criticism has also been directed at Doumbouya for his controversial decision to grant a general amnesty to former president Moussa Dadis Camara, who had been imprisoned for alleged crimes of genocide, murder, and torture.
Opponents argue the junta is aiming to retain power, accusing it of failing to honor promises made following the ousting of former president Alpha Condé.
General Mamadi Doumbouya came to power in Guinea after leading a swift coup against President Alpha Condé in September 2021. Doumbouya initially promised to return the country to civilian rule by the end of 2024, but he later postponed elections, now expected to be held by the end of 2025.
