Polling stations opened across Guinea on Sunday as the country held its first presidential election since the 2021 military coup that removed longtime leader Alpha Condé from power.
The election is being conducted under a new constitution approved by referendum in September. The charter lifts restrictions preventing military leaders from running for office and lengthens the presidential term from five to seven years.
Junta leader General Mamadi Doumbouya is widely expected to win the vote, following years of tight control over political dissent. Although nine candidates are officially in the race, Doumbouya faces no strong challenger. Two opposition figures were barred from contesting the election, while two others have gone into exile.
Doumbouya has campaigned on the back of large-scale infrastructure projects and reforms introduced since he seized power four years ago. His closest rival, Yero Baldé of the Democratic Front of Guinea, has focused his campaign on fighting corruption and boosting economic growth.
A centerpiece of the junta’s development agenda is the Simandou iron ore project, a mega-mining venture that is 75 percent Chinese-owned and located at the world’s largest known iron ore deposit. Production began last month after decades of delays. Authorities say a national development plan linked to Simandou aims to generate tens of thousands of jobs and diversify the economy through investments in agriculture, education, transport, technology and healthcare.
Supporters point to expanded access to digital skills training as one of the junta’s achievements. “In four years, he has connected Guinean youth to information and communication technologies,” said Mamadama Touré, a high school student in the capital, Conakry.
Despite Guinea’s vast mineral wealth — including its status as the world’s largest exporter of bauxite, used in aluminum production — more than half of the country’s 15 million people face severe poverty and food insecurity, according to the World Food Program. Many young voters say they are hoping the election will bring economic relief.
“This vote is the hope of young people, especially the unemployed,” said Idrissa Camara, an 18-year-old resident of Conakry. “I hope it will improve living standards and quality of life in Guinea.”
Political analysts say the election reflects a broader trend across Africa, where a rise in military coups has led to transitions managed by ruling juntas. “This election could mark Guinea’s return to the international community,” said analyst Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, noting that Doumbouya is the clear favorite due to a weakened opposition and an electoral body overseen by the government.
Rights groups, however, report worsening conditions for civil liberties since the coup, including censorship of the press, abductions of critics and the dissolution of more than 50 political parties last year a move authorities described as a political “cleanup.”
Security was tight on election day, particularly in Conakry, with nearly 12,000 police officers deployed nationwide and checkpoints set up on major roads. Authorities said they had foiled a suspected armed plot over the weekend after gunfire was reported in a Conakry neighborhood.
More than six million registered voters are eligible to take part in the election. Results are expected within 48 hours, with a runoff planned if no candidate secures an outright majority.
