IN a sweeping move, Guinea’s military-led government has dissolved 53 political parties and placed an additional 54 under observation, including two major opposition groups, sparking fresh concerns over democratic progress. The decision comes as the country awaits a long-promised return to civilian rule, with elections tentatively scheduled for 2025. Guinea’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, which announced the dissolution late Monday, stated that the measures were intended to ‘clean up the political chessboard.’
The decision to dissolve such a significant number of parties and to monitor others for three months is unprecedented in Guinea, a country that has struggled for political stability since its first democratic election in 2010. The parties placed under observation, including ex-President Alpha Condé’s Rally of the Guinean People and the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea, are required to address issues flagged by the ministry, such as failing to hold timely party congresses and providing missing bank statements.
A call for political reform
The ministry’s evaluation of Guinea’s political parties began in June, aimed at tightening oversight and addressing what the government described as irregularities in party operations. The 67 parties under observation are allowed to continue normal operations during the three-month review but must address specific administrative shortcomings cited in the government report.
Guinea is among a number of West African nations, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where military takeovers have delayed transitions back to civilian governance. Pressured by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS to set a timeline for elections, Guinea’s transitional government has yet to announce an exact date, with 2025 the current target for a return to civilian rule.
The military’s growing influence
Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, Guinea’s military leader, took power in a 2021 coup, citing his mission to prevent instability and accusing the previous government of unfulfilled promises. Since then, however, he has faced criticism over his own delays in implementing democratic reforms. Earlier this year, Doumbouya dissolved the civilian government without explanation, adding to uncertainty around Guinea’s political future.
In response to international concerns, Doumbouya has pushed back against Western intervention in African political issues, saying that Africans are ‘exhausted by the categorisations with which everyone wants to box us in.’
As Guinea’s military-led administration consolidates control, the future of democracy in the country remains uncertain, with some viewing the recent dissolution of political parties as a tightening grip on power rather than a step towards political reform.
