Guinea President Dismisses 173 Soldiers, Including Colonel Who Helped Him Seize Power

Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya has dismissed 173 military personnel for alleged desertion, including a senior army officer who played a role in the 2021 coup that brought him to power.

The dismissals were announced on state television in a presidential decree read by government spokesman Gen. Amara Camara. However, authorities did not provide details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged desertion of the affected soldiers.

Among those dismissed is Col. Michel Lamah, a former member of Guinea’s elite Special Forces Group (GFS), the unit previously commanded by Doumbouya.

Lamah attracted public attention during the September 2021 coup after being photographed inside a vehicle transporting then-President Alpha Condé following his arrest.

Doumbouya and his special forces had stormed the presidential palace, detained Condé and announced the takeover of government. At the time, Doumbouya pledged that he would not seek political office and would eventually return the country to civilian rule.

He later abandoned that commitment. Doumbouya contested Guinea’s December presidential election and won by a landslide, reportedly securing about 87 per cent of the vote.

The latest military dismissals are being viewed as part of efforts by the president to strengthen his control over the armed forces and prevent possible challenges to his leadership.

The affected personnel reportedly came from different branches of Guinea’s military.

Since the 2021 coup, Guinea has faced increasing criticism over restrictions on political activity and civil liberties. Authorities have banned protests, suspended political parties and shut down several media organisations, while opposition figures and activists have faced arrests or exile.

Two major opposition parties, the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG Arc-en-Ciel) and the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), were also excluded from the presidential election.

Doumbouya has meanwhile focused on transforming Guinea’s mineral-rich economy, seeking to move the country beyond the export of raw materials towards greater domestic processing and industrialisation.