Guinea has renewed the suspension of a leading opposition party less than two weeks before a presidential election widely expected to favour the junta leader.
General Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in 2021, has ruled with military authority and is now running in the December 28 vote.
He had pledged a return to civilian rule but reversed course, tightening control while presenting his candidacy as a stabilising necessity.
In August, authorities suspended the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea, or UFDG, along with several other opposition parties for 90 days.
The UFDG’s exiled leader, Cellou Dalein Diallo, is barred from running under a new constitution requiring candidates to reside primarily in Guinea.
The Ministry of Territorial Administration said it reviewed party documents and found serious legal deficiencies justifying the extended suspension.
Officials gave the UFDG six months from November 25 to comply with new political laws or risk losing legal recognition.
Among the cited failures was the party’s inability to hold a congress since 2015, a charge the opposition disputes.
Earlier this year, authorities banned the UFDG from organising an extraordinary congress, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court.
The government has not clarified whether suspensions against two other parties imposed in August remain in effect.
Opposition groups have called for an election boycott, arguing the contest lacks credibility and meaningful political competition.
Nine candidates are registered, including Doumbouya, while most rivals are little known and major opposition figures remain excluded.
Since 2022, demonstrations have been banned, opposition leaders arrested or exiled, and reports of disappearances have grown darker.