Guinea military leader explains reasons behind recent coups in Africa

Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, the military leader of Guinea, has explained the reasons behind the recent coups on the continent of Africa while at the same time urging the international community to “look to and address the deep-rooted causes.”

The head of the military government in Guinea said, “I want us all to be well aware of the fact that the putschist is not only the one who takes up arms to overthrow the government. The real putschists … who are not the subject of any condemnation, are also those who scheme, who cheat to manipulate the texts of the constitution in order to stay in power eternally,” Doumbouya said at the 78th UN General Assembly session in New York on Thursday.

Dumbuya stressed that military takeovers in Africa were carried out by soldiers to rescue their countries from presidents’ “broken promises.”

Eight coups have occurred in West and Central African countries since 2020, including Guinea.

Doumbouya, who was sworn in as interim president after a military coup toppled President Alpha Conde in September 2021, has surrendered to international criticism and vowed to relinquish power to an elected government by the end of 2024.

The head of the junta added that he led soldiers to depose Conde in order to keep the country from “slipping into complete chaos,” and that the situation was comparable in other countries affected by coups.

Despite his assurance to hand over power in 2024, many Guineans marched to the streets in front of the United Nations in New York to protest against the transition government and breaches of human rights in Guinea.