Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, the military leader of Guinea, has urged the international community to address the underlying causes of coups in Africa.
Speaking at the 78th UN General Assembly session in New York, Doumbouya emphasized that coup plotters aren’t only those who use force to overthrow governments but also those who manipulate constitutional texts to cling to power indefinitely.
He argued that military coups in Africa often occur due to leaders’ unfulfilled promises, and soldiers stage coups to save their countries from this situation. Since 2020, eight coups have taken place in West and Central African nations, including Guinea.
Doumbouya, who assumed the role of transitional president after a coup in September 2021, has committed to returning power to an elected government by the end of 2024 under international pressure.
He explained that his actions aimed to prevent Guinea from descending into chaos, a situation similar to other countries experiencing coups.
However, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the head of West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS maintain that military coups are unacceptable, as are political arrangements that perpetuate injustice.
During Doumbouya’s address, Guineans protested in front of the UN in New York, expressing their dissatisfaction with the conduct of the current transitional government and the violations of rights in Guinea.