Guinea Court Confirms Doumbouya as President

Guinea’s Supreme Court has confirmed the election victory of coup leader Mamady Doumbouya, clearing the way for him to serve a seven-year term as president.

The court said on Sunday that Doumbouya won 86.72 per cent of the vote in the December 28 election, validating earlier provisional results. The ruling is required by law after every national election in Guinea.

The court also said the second-place candidate, Abdoulaye Yero Balde, had withdrawn his legal challenge to the results.

Balde, who leads the Democratic Front of Guinea, had earlier asked the court to cancel the vote, citing a lack of transparency and the removal of his party’s representatives from some polling stations.

Balde finished second with 6.59 per cent of the vote in a race that included eight candidates.

Doumbouya, a former special forces commander believed to be in his early 40s, took power in a 2021 coup that removed then-president Alpha Conde.

Conde later dismissed the election as a “masquerade” in a New Year’s Eve address.

Speaking briefly after the court ruling, Doumbouya called on Guineans at home and abroad to unite and help build a new Guinea.

“I solemnly call on all the daughters and all the sons of our nation, including those established abroad, to come together to build together a new Guinea: a Guinea of peace, of justice, of shared prosperity, and of fully assumed political and economic sovereignty. For my part, I extend my hand to all to build a prosperous future,” Doumbouya said.

“The year 2026 will be that of work, of rigour, of unity, and of hope. Together, we will write a new page in our history, in the exclusive service of the sovereign people of Guinea.”

The United States embassy in Guinea congratulated Doumbouya on the court’s decision and said it looked forward to strengthening relations and supporting economic stability.

“The United States congratulates President-Elect Mamadi Doumbouya on his election to the presidency of the Republic of Guinea. We look forward to the opportunity to strengthen our bilateral relations and promote economic prosperity and stability for the benefit of our two peoples.”