Guinea: Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, head of the military junta now sets the political transition to civilians at 39 months

Colonel Mamady Doumbouya in a televised address to the Nation thus declared: “From all the consultations undertaken at all levels, there emerges a median proposal for a consensual duration of the transition of 39 months”.

This soldier, who overthrew President Alpha Condé in September and who had himself proclaimed head of state, made these remarks after the closure, on April 29, of two contested political consultations – a so-called reconciliation conference and ” an inclusive consultation framework” – both shunned by a large number of political parties.

“The CNRD (National Assembly and Development Committee, the ruling body of the junta, editor’s note) and the government in turn will submit to the CNT (National Transitional Council), which takes the place of Parliament, this proposal which is consecutive to broad and patient consultations”, declared the colonel-president.

At the end of March, impatient with their manifest refusal to announce a date for elections intended to return power to civilians, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had summoned the authorities of Conakry to present “No later than April 25” an “acceptable” transition schedule, under penalty of an extension of the economic sanctions decided against the country after the coup.

But the junta let the deadline pass and asked to “have more time compared to the deadline of April 25”, in order to “allow the continuation of consultations”, according to a press release from ECOWAS which was published on April 27. .

In September, after the putsch in Conakry, the heads of state of ECOWAS had “insisted that the transition be very short”, and that elections be organized within a period not exceeding “six months”.