Guinea's president dismisses 173 soldiers, including coup ally, for desertion

Guinea's newly elected President Mamadi Doumbouya has dismissed over 170 soldiers for desertion, including a colonel who assisted him during the 2021 coup that led to his rise to power. Col Michel Lamah, a member of the elite Special Forces Group (GFS), was among those dismissed. Initially, Doumbouya pledged to relinquish power to civilian rule following the coup, but he later disregarded this promise and contested the December election, which he won decisively.

The dismissals, announced through a decree on state television, are seen as part of President Doumbouya's efforts to solidify his control and preclude future challenges to his leadership. The dismissed soldiers were drawn from various branches of the military, although no specifics were provided regarding the alleged desertions.

Col Lamah gained notoriety during the coup when he was photographed in a vehicle with the ousted President Alpha Condé, following the arrest of Condé, who had been re-elected to a third term amid violent protests. Since the coup, Guinea has witnessed a suppression of civil liberties, with media outlets being shut down, protests banned, and opposition figures either arrested or exiled.

Two prominent opposition parties, RPG Arc en Ciel and UFDG, were barred from participating in last year's election. In the past five years, President Doumbouya has sought to transform Guinea from a supplier of raw materials to an industrial processing hub, leveraging the country's rich mineral resources.