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The African Union (AU) has lifted sanctions imposed on Guinea following the 2021 military takeover, citing progress in the country’s political transition and the conduct of a presidential election late last year.
In a decision announced on Thursday, the AU’s Peace and Security Council stated that it was satisfied with the steps taken by the Guinean authorities to implement the agreed-upon transition roadmap, which culminated in a presidential vote held on December 28, 2025.
The continental body acknowledged the election of former junta leader Mamady Doumbouya as president and urged him to honour his pledges to restore democratic governance and improve the welfare of the Guinean people.
Following the vote, the council said Guinea’s suspension from participating in African Union activities had been lifted, allowing the country to fully re-engage with the organisation.
Doumbouya was sworn in on Saturday before a large crowd in the capital, with several African heads of state in attendance, after securing victory in last month’s election.
Guinea’s Supreme Court subsequently upheld the result, crediting him with 86.7 per cent of the vote.
Doumbouya seized power in 2021 after overthrowing President Alpha Condé, Guinea’s first democratically elected leader.
Since then, his administration has faced criticism for restrictions on civil liberties, including bans on protests and the arrest, prosecution, or exile of political opponents.
