Guinea’s election campaign marred by intimidation, says UN

A supporter dressed as Guinea President and presidential candidate Mamady Doumbouya greets people as he is escorted by supporters pretending to be soldiers during the last day of campaign in Conakry, on December 25, 2025, ahead of Guinea’s Presidential election on December 28, 2025. (Photo by PATRICK MEINHARDT / AFP)

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The United Nations said the presidential election race in Guinea had been marked by intimidation, and urged authorities to ensure there was no fear or repression in Sunday’s voting.

Despite his initial promise to return power to civilians when he took over in 2021, junta leader General Mamady Doumbouya is running for president — in a vote with all the main opposition barred.

“Ahead of Sunday’s presidential election in Guinea, the civic and political space has been severely restricted, marked by intimidation of opposition actors, apparently politically-motivated enforced disappearances, and constraints on media freedom,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement released Friday.

Guinea’s opposition is calling for a boycott of the vote, which follows a tenure marked by repression, imprisonment, and disappearances of vocal opponents.

Turk said several cases of enforced disappearance remain unresolved, including those of four relatives of artist and opposition figure Elie Kamano, who have been missing since November 16.

Sanassy Keita, a photographer associated with former president Alpha Conde, has also been missing since his abduction by armed men on November 27, he added.

“The timing and apparent targeted nature of these incidents intimidate opposition figures, disrupt campaigning and deter voter mobilisation,” said Turk.

“They contribute to a climate of fear among political actors and the population at large, and risk undermining the credibility of the electoral process.”

Some 6.8 million people in the West African nation are eligible to vote Sunday, choosing between nine candidates, including 41-year-old Doumbouya, who is running as an independent.

Doumbouya’s election rivals are relative unknowns since all the main opposition figures were excluded.

“I urge the authorities to promptly and impartially investigate all allegations of enforced disappearances, determine the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared and ensure that those responsible for any violations are held accountable,” said Turk.

“They must also protect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and political participation in the electoral process, ensuring an environment free from fear, coercion or repression.”

Doumbouya has cracked down on civil liberties, and the junta has banned protests since 2022. Many opponents have been arrested, put on trial or driven to exile.

Since its 1958 independence, Guinea has had a complex history of military and authoritarian rule. Guinea is rich in minerals, but more than half of its inhabitants live below the poverty line, according to World Bank figures for 2024.

AFP

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