In brief
Guinea’s president Mamady Doumbouya has dismissed more than 170 troops for alleged desertion, including Colonel Michel Lamah – a former Special Forces commander who joined Doumbouya in the 2021 coup. The decree, announced on state television by spokesperson Gen Amara Camara, is seen as part of Doumbouya’s ongoing drive to tighten his hold on the military and neutralise potential rivals. The dismissals cut across various army branches and the military hierarchy, though officials have not yet detailed the circumstances. Doumbouya, who seized power in 2021, has since transitioned from coup leader to elected president after winning a landslide in December. The move follows a broader pattern of crackdowns on dissent, media closure and the suppression of opposition parties in Guinea’s post‑coup era.
Guinea's president Mamady Doumbouya, 41, has dismissed more than 170 soldiers for desertion, including Colonel Michel Lamah, a former Special Forces commander who helped him seize power in 2021.
Lamah, who was photographed in a vehicle carrying the deposed President Alpha Condé during the September 2021 coup, had been a key figure in the Special Forces Group.
Doumbouya ousted Condé in 2021, pledged not to run for office, but later stood in the December election and won with a landslide, becoming the country’s civilian president.
The decree, read out on state television by spokesperson Gen Amara Camara, has been interpreted as part of Doumbouya’s effort to consolidate control over the military and pre-empt challenges. The dismissed personnel come from various branches, though no details have been released about the alleged desertions.
Since the coup, Guinea has seen a systematic crackdown on civil liberties: media outlets shut, protests banned, political parties suspended, and opposition figures arrested or exiled.
