Keypoints:
- Three main parties suspended by junta
- Opposition condemns September referendum plan
- Rights groups decry crackdown on dissent
GUINEA’S ruling junta has suspended three of the country’s main political parties, including that of former president Alpha Conde, in a move that further shrinks political space ahead of a controversial constitutional referendum.
The suspension order, seen by AFP on Saturday, blocks the parties from political activity for three months. It comes as the opposition prepares nationwide protests on September 5 against what it describes as a power grab by junta leader General Mamadi Doumbouya.
Parties targeted include Conde’s and Diallo’s
The order affects the Rally of the Guinean People, Conde’s party, as well as the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea led by former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, and the Party of Renewal and Progress.
According to the document, the parties had failed to meet unspecified obligations. They were given three months to correct the deficiencies or face further sanctions.
The timing coincides with planned demonstrations by political and civil society groups. Organisers say the rallies will condemn Doumbouya’s plan to hold a referendum on September 21 to revise the constitution.
Disputed referendum plans
Doumbouya’s military government argues the vote is necessary to pave the way for civilian rule. The opposition, however, claims it is designed to entrench military power.
Doumbouya seized control in a 2021 coup that toppled Conde after a decade in office. Since then, the junta has banned protests, detained opposition figures and driven others into exile.
In a separate announcement on state television late Friday, the junta said the referendum campaign period had been delayed by a week, now set to begin on August 31.
Earlier clampdowns on political activity
The latest suspension follows a broader crackdown earlier this year. In March, the junta suspended 28 political parties and dissolved 27 others, accusing them of failing to meet administrative requirements such as providing bank account details or holding regular congresses. Conde’s party was among those initially suspended, but it was later reinstated.
Back in January, authorities declared that Guinea’s political space needed to be ‘sanitised’, a move rights groups say has led to worsening restrictions on free speech and the press.
Civilian rule remains uncertain
The draft constitution presented to Doumbouya in June is supposed to outline a return to civilian governance. Yet it does not clarify whether the junta leader himself would be eligible to run in the next presidential election.
A post-coup transition charter initially barred military rulers and government members from standing for office. Observers warn that if this restriction is removed, it could open the way for Doumbouya to legitimise his rule through the ballot box.
International rights groups have criticised the junta for stifling dissent and have urged Guinea’s leadership to set out a clear timetable for a credible return to democracy.
