Abubakar Hashim/Monrovia
Contrary to a 10- point transition road map, jointly signed with ECOWAS, Guinea’s military leader, General Mamady Doumbouya, has declared to contest for the presidency in the forthcoming December 2024 elections.
ECOWAS is yet to officially respond to the recent political development in Guinea.
Gen Doumbouya removed former President Alfa Conde in September 2021, in a bloodless coup.
Guinea’s military dispensation is quite different from the other three military regimes in West Africa, namely Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The difference is premised on two cogent reasons:
1. Guinea’s military intervened to oust a dictator, Alfa Conde, who violated the constitutional 2 term limits for a 3rd term.
2. Guinea also declined to withdraw from ECOWAS and declined to join the alliance of the three military juntas.
But the recent declaration by Guinea’s junta leader to contest in the next Presidential elections in December 2024, is a rude slap to the democratic process tailored jointly with ECOWAS.
Though ECOWAS is yet to officially respond to the political development in Guinea, diplomatic sources revealed that the junta leader will be “ persuaded “ to field a non -transition member in the presidential race just three months away.
Guinea is the richest sub soil resourced country in West Africa. Its first civilian President Sekou Toure, rebelled from France and developed the country along socialist trajectory. It is the only Francophone West African country, not in the CFA zone, but trades in its own currency, the cedi.
It was during civilian President Lansana conte, who died in baffling circumstances, that the country transited to mixed flavour of some rudiments of capitalism.
He was succeeded by deposed Alfa Conde, who violated the constitutional two- term limits for a third term and was toppled by current General Doumbouya, who, unfortunately, has, this week, declared to contest for the upcoming Presidential elections in December 2024.
*Abubakar Hashim is the West Africa Bureau Chief of TheNEWS Magazine.