Guinea's president dismisses 173 soldiers, including coup ally, for desertion
Guinean President Mamadi Doumbouya has dismissed 173 soldiers for desertion, including a key ally from his 2021 coup. The move is viewed as a strategic effort to consolidate power and eliminate potential internal threats to his leadership.
Why it matters
The purge reflects the ongoing instability and authoritarian consolidation within West African military-led governments.
Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya, 41, has dismissed more than 170 soldiers for “desertion”, including a colonel who helped him seize power in a coup in 2021.
Col Michel Lamah was a member of the Special Forces Group (GFS), the elite army unit which Doumbouya once commanded.
When he overthrew President Alpha Condé, Doumbouya said he would not seek election and would hand over to civilian rule. He went on to renege on that promise and stood in December’s election – which he won with a landslide.
The dismissals, announced in a decree on state television, are thought to be part of ongoing efforts by the president to consolidate his control and prevent potential challenges to his leadership.
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