Guinea coup leader General Doumbouya enters presidential race after new constitution approval
Guinea’s military leader, General Doumbouya, enters December presidential election after new constitution clears the way, sparking nationwide attention and international scrutiny.
Guinea's military leader, General Mamady Doumbouya, has formally entered the country's presidential race, submitting his application to the Supreme Court as the nation prepares for December elections aimed at restoring civilian rule after his 2021 coup.
The move follows a September referendum in which Guineans overwhelmingly approved a new constitution. The constitution allows Doumbouya to run for president, overturning a provision in a transitional charter that had barred members of the military government from seeking office.
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It also introduced institutional changes, including longer presidential terms—from five to seven years, renewable once, and the creation of a new Senate.
Doumbouya had not previously declared his intention to run in the December 28 polls, but his candidacy was widely expected following last month’s approval of the new constitution.
Both Guineans and the international community have been calling for elections to restore constitutional governance to the country of 14.5 million, which has been under military rule for four years.
Filed presidential papers
According to AFP, on Monday, Doumbouya arrived at the Supreme Court under heavy security to file his presidential papers, as thousands of supporters from across the country gathered outside. He did not make a public address after submitting his documents.
Additional reports indicate that other candidates, including Makale Camara, president of the National Alliance Front (FAN) and a former foreign minister, also filed their presidential bids on Monday.
This will be Guinea's first presidential election since the military ousted President Alpha Condé in 2021. At the time, Doumbouya pledged to return the country to civilian rule by 2024, but the deadline passed without an election.
General Doumbouya, 41, hails from Guinea's eastern Kankan region and the Malinké community, the same as the ousted President Condé. Married to a French national, he served in the French Foreign Legion, rising to master corporal, before returning to Guinea to lead the Special Forces Group.
Known for his expertise in defence management and strategy, his government has faced accusations from human rights organisations of disappearing political opponents and arbitrarily suspending media outlets—claims it has consistently denied.
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