Guinea’s President Dismisses 173 Soldiers for Desertion
President Mamadi Doumbouya has fired 173 soldiers—including a colonel who once aided the 2021 coup—by decree announced on state television, citing desertion. The marks a visible tightening of military discipline under an increasingly authoritarian regime.
Colonel Michel Lamah, a former special forces commander, is among those dismissed. He can be seen in a 2021 photograph in the vehicle that carried deposed President Alpha Condé, displacing his third term victory in a turbulent campaign.
Doumbouya’s tenure began with a coup where he promised a handover to civilian rule. Instead, he ran for president in the December election and won 87 per cent of the vote in a landslide, ending the neutral stage he had initially vowed. Critics say the dismissal reflects an ongoing effort to root out potential rivals and consolidate power.
The decree did not spell out circumstances or evidence of desertion for the 173 officers, who hail from varied branches. Gen Amara Camara, the president’s spokesman, read the decree on Monday. The cancellation follows continued restrictions on civil liberties—media shut down, protests banned, political parties suspended, and opposition figures either arrested or exiled.
Over five years, Doumbouya has aimed to turn Guinea’s resource wealth into industrial development, seeking to polish the country’s economic prospects beyond raw materials extraction.
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