Guinea’s Doumbouya is sworn in as president, cementing transition from junta chief to elected leader

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya was sworn in Saturday as president of Guinea after he overwhelmingly won last year’s presidential election despite an earlier promise not to present himself as a candidate.

Doumbouya took power in a 2021 military coup and has run the country with an iron fist. In December, he won the presidential election, which was held under a new constitution that revoked a ban on military leaders running for office and extended the presidential mandate from five years to seven years. Doumbouya was accused by critics of clamping down on opposition and dissent.

On Saturday, Doumbouya took the oath of office in a brand-new 55,000-seat stadium located in the suburbs of Conakry, the capital, before an audience of African leaders and representatives of the African Union Commission and the ECOWAS Commission.

“I fully appreciate the immense responsibility that the people of Guinea have entrusted to me following the presidential election,” he said. “This mandate that has just been given to me is not a personal honor; it is a commitment to the Guinean people. A commitment to address the various governance challenges facing our country.”

Although rich in mineral resources, half of Guinea’s 15 million population is mired in poverty and experiences record levels of food insecurity, according to the World Food Program.

The Simandou iron ore project, a 75% Chinese-owned mega mining project at the world’s largest iron deposit, has been the focal point of infrastructural and economic revitalization for the junta. Production at the site began late last year after decades of delay. The authorities are banking on the project to create thousands of jobs and open investments in other sectors, including education and health.

Many supporters of the president-elect attended the ceremony. Swept up in the lively atmosphere, 28-year-old law student Rokiatou Kaba, from the Kankan Prefecture —Doumbouya’s hometown — was overjoyed.

“Guinea is fully back on the international stage. Economic takeoff is imminent, prosperity is guaranteed,” he told The Associated Press.

But not everyone was convinced. In the corner of the stadium, Hassmiou Baldé, a 26-year-old economics student, seemed lost in thought, oblivious to the atmosphere around him.

“This is all just theater,” he said. “After driving out all the real opposition, he surrounded himself with minor, unknown rivals.”

He added: “It’s a charade. A power grab.”

Guinea is one of the several West African countries that have seen a coup or coup attempt since 2020. Military officers have taken advantage of popular discontent with deteriorating security, underwhelming economies, or disputed elections to seize power.