Guineans on Sunday voted in a presidential election widely expected to hand Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a coup in 2021, a seven-year term, cementing the autocrat’s rule in the West African nation.
Critics described the electoral process as a sham, as the government has stifled dissent and restricted press freedom, with the UN human rights chief saying the campaign period was “marked by intimidation of opposition actors.”
Meanwhile experts told Reuters that Doumbouya’s new term could further entrench corruption in the country, which holds the world’s largest reserves of bauxite and the richest untapped iron ore deposit. The questioned election is also the latest sign of democratic erosion in West Africa and the Sahel.
