Exiled opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo has called for “direct resistance” against Mamady Doumbouya, the coup leader–turned–president of Guinea, following the government’s decision to dissolve 40 political parties.
The move comes just two months after Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup that ousted former president Alpha Condé, was sworn in as president after an election that barred several major opposition figures from running. Critics have since accused his administration of tightening restrictions on democratic freedoms.
Among the parties dissolved were Diallo’s Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) and Condé’s Rally of the People of Guinea.
In a decree issued late Friday, Guinea’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation ordered the closure of the parties’ headquarters and local offices. It also banned the use of their logos, acronyms and other identifying symbols, while confiscating their assets and sealing their premises.
Authorities said the parties had failed to comply with legal requirements, including the submission of mandatory financial statements. However, several of the affected groups rejected the accusations, insisting they had fulfilled all legal obligations.
In a video statement posted on social media Sunday, Diallo said the decree signaled that “war has been openly declared” against political forces opposing Doumbouya. He argued that meaningful political change could no longer be achieved through dialogue or democratic processes.
“The head of the junta and his malevolent clique want to rewrite the country’s history by erasing from the political landscape all forces likely to overshadow his nascent one-party state,” Diallo said.
The decision has also drawn criticism from other political figures. Jean-Marc Telliano, former minister and leader of the Rally for the Integrated Development of Guinea, said his party would challenge the decree through legal channels and fight to restore its rights.
The dissolution of the parties comes just two months before planned legislative elections, a key stage in Guinea’s transition from military to civilian rule.
Guinea’s action mirrors developments in neighbouring Burkina Faso, where the military authorities banned all political parties in January as the ruling junta sought to consolidate its control.
