{"id":111552,"date":"2026-01-17T16:58:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T16:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=111552"},"modified":"2026-01-17T16:58:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T16:58:56","slug":"from-camouflage-to-tracksuits-guineas-junta-leader-becomes-civilian-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=111552","title":{"rendered":"From camouflage to tracksuits \u2013 Guinea\u2019s junta leader becomes civilian president"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From the moment he seized power in September 2021 Guinea\u2019s Mamadi Doumbouya struck an imposing figure.<\/p>\n

Just 36 years old at the time, the broad-shouldered colonel, standing at well over six feet (1.8m), wearing military fatigues, mirrored sunglasses and a red beret certainly made an impression when announcing the coup.<\/p>\n

A relatively unknown member of an elite army unit, he declared that the government of ousted President Alpha Cond\u00e9 had disregarded democratic principles and that citizens\u2019 rights were being trampled on.<\/p>\n

After more than four years of acting as interim president, and going back on a promise not to run for leadership of the country, Doumbouya, now 41, was sworn in as the elected head of state on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The discreet, disciplined and private man won 87% of the vote in December\u2019s election against a severely depleted field.<\/p>\n

Ex-Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, now in exile, described the process as a charade which generated \u201cfabricated\u201d results.<\/p>\n

While seemingly enjoying some popular support, critics have questioned Doumbouya\u2019s democratic credentials as some political parties have been banned, activists have mysteriously disappeared and media outlets been shut down.<\/p>\n

\"From<\/figure>\n

Scrolling back through the social media accounts from the president\u2019s office there is a sense of a carefully curated image.<\/p>\n

The army man, now a general, has, for the main, ditched the camouflage in favour of the baseball cap and tracksuit, or a boubou \u2013 traditional Guinean attire of loose-fitting robes with elaborate embroidery. The shades though are still at times in evidence.<\/p>\n

Pictures show him at the opening of schools, or transport and mining infrastructure or cycling through the streets of the capital, Conakry. The message is clear: this is a man of action who is working on behalf of the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was presenting an image of someone who can be close to civilians, someone who is a civilian leader and can be representative of the people,\u201d Beverly Ochieng, senior analyst with Dakar-based security intelligence firm Control Risks, told the BBC.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn some ways this is distancing himself from what brought him to power \u2013 a coup \u2013 and the fact that his entire career has been in the military.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the 15 years before he took power, Doumbouya gained extensive international experience, including being educated to master\u2019s level in France and serving in the French Foreign Legion. He was also in Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Central African Republic and worked on close protection in Israel, Cyprus and the UK.<\/p>\n

But the donning of civilian clothes may not be entirely sincere, according to some analysts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure that he has transitioned from a military man. I think that the military costume will remain even if he is conducting the return to civilian order,\u201d argued A\u00efssatou Kant\u00e9, a researcher in the West Africa office of the Institute of Security Studies.<\/p>\n

She referred to a ban on political demonstrations, the exclusion of Doumbouya\u2019s main challengers in December\u2019s election and the suspension of key opposition parties.<\/p>\n

Human rights campaigners have demanded to know the whereabouts of two activists \u2013 Oumar Sylla (known as Fonik\u00e9 Mengu\u00e8) and Mamadou Billo Bah \u2013 who have not been seen since July 2024. They suspect the men were taken by the military.<\/p>\n

Press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders has also expressed concern that journalist Habib Marouane Camara has been missing for more than a year. It has described how journalists are now censoring themselves and are fearful about what might happen to them.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the 2021 coup was widely welcomed in the country and since then Doumbouya appears to have remained a popular figure.<\/p>\n

Polling organisation Afrobarometer found that between 2022 and 2024 the proportion of people who trusted the president either \u201cpartially\u201d or \u201ca lot\u201d grew from 46% to 53%.<\/p>\n

\"From<\/figure>\n

The president-elect may not have a clearly defined ideology guiding him but for Kant\u00e9 his emphasis on Guineans being in control of their own destiny has become very important.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s what keeps coming up in official speeches \u2013 this affirmation of political and economic sovereignty,\u201d she told the BBC.<\/p>\n

In his address to the nation a few days into the new year, he struck a conciliatory tone, calling on all Guineans to build a nation of peace and \u201cfully assumed\u201d sovereignty.<\/p>\n

In a country that continues to grapple with high levels of poverty despite plentiful natural resources \u2013 including the world\u2019s largest reserves of bauxite, which is used to make aluminium \u2013 this idea strikes a chord.<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s messaging on the development of the vast iron-ore resources in Simandou underscores the possible benefits for the people.<\/p>\n

The three billion tonnes of ore available in a remote southern part of the country, which began to be exported last month, could transform the global iron market, as well as Guinea\u2019s fortunes.<\/p>\n

The authorities say earnings from the project, partly owned by Chinese miners as well as the British-Australian corporation Rio Tinto, will be invested in new transport infrastructure as well as health and education.<\/p>\n

The success or otherwise of Simandou may define Doumbouya\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n

\"From<\/figure>\n

He appears determined to keep some of the processing and added-value parts of the industry in Guinea to ensure greater benefits.<\/p>\n

Across the broader mining sector, his government has cancelled dozens of contracts over the past year where it was felt that the companies were not investing in Guinea \u2013 a move that has led one UAE-based firm to take the country to an international court.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis move towards resource nationalism makes him look like a local hero. He looks like he\u2019s really fighting for the rights of his citizens, even if that means business disruptions,\u201d said analyst Ochieng.<\/p>\n

The emphasis on sovereignty has also led to a pragmatic approach to international relations, observers say. Unlike coup leaders elsewhere in West Africa, Doumbouya has not outrightly rejected the former colonial power France in favour of Russia.<\/p>\n

Neither, despite his background in France and having a French wife, has he been accused of being a puppet of Paris.<\/p>\n

Doumbouya very much wants to be seen as someone running things in the interests of the country.<\/p>\n

The president has preached a message of national unity and will hope that he can usher in a new era of prosperity for Guinea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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