Guinea Junta Dissolves Government

In a significant political development, Guinea’s ruling military junta announced the dissolution of the government that has been in power since July 2022.

The announcement was made through a video published on Facebook by the presidency, featuring General Amara Camara, a spokesperson for the junta, flanked by approximately 20 uniformed soldiers, some of whom donned masks and carried weapons.

General Camara, however, did not provide specific reasons for the government’s dissolution or a timeline for the formation of a new government.

He stated, “The government is dissolved,” indicating that current affairs would be managed by cabinet directors, secretary generals, and deputy secretary generals until a new government is established.

This move comes as Guinea remains under the control of a military junta since September 2021, following the ousting of the country’s first democratically-elected president.

The junta, led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has faced international pressure to transition power back to elected civilians, with a commitment to do so by the end of 2024.

The junta has justified the so-called transitional period as necessary for implementing comprehensive reforms in Guinea, a country endowed with significant natural resources yet struggling with poverty.

However, the opposition has criticized the junta for an authoritarian drift, highlighting a ban on all demonstrations in 2022, the arrest of several opposition leaders, civil society members, and press personnel, as well as the restriction of internet access for several weeks.

This latest action by the junta signals a continued tumultuous political landscape in Guinea, as the nation awaits the establishment of a new government and the promised return to civilian rule amidst calls for reform and international scrutiny.