Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, head of Guinea’s ruling military junta, has formally announced his candidacy for the December 21 presidential election, a move that could allow him to remain in power for another five years.
His decision follows the September constitutional referendum, which removed a ban preventing members of the military council from contesting elections. Doumbouya had previously pledged not to run when he seized power in a 2021 military coup.
The new constitution also includes residency requirements that effectively bar prominent opponents, including former president Alpha Condé, who lives abroad, and former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, currently in exile.
Guinea, home to the world’s largest bauxite reserves and vast untapped iron deposits, now faces a pivotal election, with other contenders including a former prime minister and a former foreign minister.
