The dissolution of Guinea’s government was announced via a video posted on Facebook by the presidency, featuring General Amara Camara, a spokesperson for the junta, surrounded by around 20 uniformed soldiers, some of whom were masked and armed.
General Camara did not offer specific reasons for the government’s dissolution or a timetable for the formation of a new government.
He simply stated, “The government is dissolved,” indicating that current affairs would be managed by cabinet directors, secretary generals, and deputy secretary generals until a new government is established.
This development comes as Guinea remains under the control of a military junta since September 2021, following the ousting of the country’s first democratically-elected president.
Led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the junta has faced international pressure to transition power back to elected civilians, with a commitment to do so by the end of 2024.
The junta has defended the so-called transitional period as necessary for implementing comprehensive reforms in Guinea, a nation rich in natural resources but grappling with poverty.
However, the opposition has criticized the junta for an authoritarian shift, citing a ban on all demonstrations in 2022, the arrest of numerous opposition leaders, civil society members, and journalists, as well as the imposition of internet restrictions for several weeks.
This latest move by the junta indicates ongoing political turmoil in Guinea, as the country awaits the establishment of a new government and the promised return to civilian rule amid calls for reform and international scrutiny.