
Guinea’s largest opposition alliance, Forces Vives de Guinée, has called on its representatives to step down from the National Transitional Council, the legislative body established by the military junta that seized power two years ago. In a statement released late Wednesday, the coalition declared that the junta’s failure to honor its promised return to civilian governance by the December 31, 2024, deadline had undermined the legitimacy of the transition process.
Led by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya since 2021, Guinea’s junta had initially committed to a democratic transition, only to dissolve dozens of political parties last year in what it called an effort to “clean up the political chessboard.” Rights groups claim the junta has also intensified restrictions on independent media and other civic organizations. Reports suggest that social media networks, private radio stations, and news websites have faced prolonged disruptions, leaving journalists vulnerable to attacks and arrests.
Doumbouya’s New Year’s address signaled a constitutional referendum decree would be issued to pave the way for democracy, yet critics remain skeptical given the absence of a firm date. Tensions in Conakry flared last week during opposition demonstrations, which effectively paralyzed the capital.
The National Transitional Council, comprising 81 junta-appointed figures, includes 15 political party representatives, among them three from Forces Vives de Guinée. The alliance includes former President Alpha Condé’s Rally of the Guinean People and the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea—the two parties that garnered over 90% of the vote in Guinea’s most recent presidential election. Observers fear that this withdrawal could heighten instability, as the West African nation struggles to resolve its prolonged political crisis.