After more than two years of military rule, Guinea’s armed forces have declared the disbandment of the interim government, paving the way for the establishment of a new administration in the West African country.
In a late-night video statement on Monday, military leaders declared that directors of cabinets, secretary generals, and their deputies would assume authority until the formation of a new government, effectively taking over the reins from the existing administration, which has been in power since July 2022.
Accompanied by military officials and armed, masked soldiers, Amara Camara, the presidency’s secretary-general, delivered the unexpected news in a pre-recorded video.
The immediate impact of the dissolution, for which Camara offered no explanation, on the nation and the identities of the key figures in the prospective new government remain uncertain.
After the expulsion of Alpha Conde, Guinea’s first democratically elected president, in September 2021, the military took control through a coup.
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Under the watchful eye of the international community, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the military leader, vowed to transfer governance back to elected civilians by the end of 2024.
The putsch in Guinea was led by the country’s special forces, marking the culmination of a prolonged period of political unrest, initially ignited by Conde’s controversial attempt for a third presidential term in 2020.
After successfully advocating for a new constitution in March 2020, which enabled him to circumvent the country’s two-term presidential limit and pursue a third term, the former president clinched victory in the subsequent election.
At the height of protests against a potential third term for Conde, scores of individuals lost their lives amid confrontations with law enforcement, while numerous others found themselves in custody, tallying up to hundreds of arrests.
Additionally, the government detained multiple notable opposition figures, accusing them of instigating and facilitating electoral unrest in Guinea.
ECOWAS, the primary economic and political alliance in the region, has been urging the military to organize elections and reinstate civilian leadership.
A 24-month transition timeline was mutually agreed upon by military officials in Guinea and representatives from ECOWAS in October 2022.