In a series of partial results released earlier this week, voters in Guinea provided overwhelming support for a new constitution that would allow Mamady Doumbouya, the military leader who led a coup d’état in 2010, the chance to run for president if he chose to.
Overall, approximately 89% voted in favor of the new constitution, according to AP News. The measure was passed as it had well reached the 50% threshold that was required for its passage. The draft constitution will grant junta members the right to run for office and increase the term from five to seven years.
The vote is currently facing criticism from opposition leaders, such as Cellou Dalein Diallo, who allege that the results have been “prepared” before the voting took place.
With presidential and legislative elections set for later this year, here is a deep dive into politics in Guinea over the past 150 years.
1900s to 1950s Guinea
In the 1890s, France announced that the Rivieres du Sud would no longer be a part of Senegal, declaring it a separate colony and establishing the land as French Guinea. The colonial rule by the French was established with the defeat of Samori Touré, a military leader and the Emperor of the Ouassaoulou state. Toure opposed the French rule and fought against French troops, but was almost captured near the Cavally River before being sent into exile.
With the defeat, French Guinea became part of the Federation of French West Africa. Established in 1895 and eventually dissolved in 1958, the federation was made up of eight West African nations ruled by the French: Mauritania, Senegal, Niger, Dahomey (now known as Benin), Upper Volta (now known as Burkina Faso), the Ivory Coast, French Sudan (now known as Mali) and French Guinea.
These territories were also formally known in 1904 as French West Africa. All the nations were controlled by a single governor located in Senegal who reported to the Minister of Overseas. Across the West African nations under France’s control, a series of 19th and 20th-century legislation addressed the enslavement across the country. From the 16th century, Portugal established multiple ports, developing the Atlantic Slave Trade in the area. Soon after, other European nations, including Britain and France, took part in the Atlantic Slave Trade. In 1905, the centuries-long history of enslavement legally ended with the abolition of enslavement. With the end of enslavement, however, France replaced it with decades-long compulsory labor to help build the new colony, forcibly making citizens work on colonial worksites.
1950s to 2000s Guinea
With the turn of the mid-century, Guinea underwent a major shift with the establishment of the modern state of Guinea in 1958. The country’s independence stemmed from legislation passed under the 1946 constitution of the French Fourth Republic. Although the French Fourth Republic eventually failed, the republican government established that a number of Guinean citizens who were French-educated could vote for the deputies who would take their place in the French National Assembly. As a result, during the referendum held to approve the French Fifth Republic, Guinea voted to reject the Loi Cadre, a law created to provide more control over the colonies. Under the Loi Cadre law, however, France was still involved in controlling the economy, the currency, and other foreign affairs. By 1958, the Guinea branch of the Rassemblement Démocratique Africain voted for immediate independence, making Sekou Touré the first president of Guinea.
Through the support from nations such as Ghana and the former Soviet Union, Guinea became the first African colony to gain complete independence. Through their connections with the Soviet Union, however, they became embroiled in the Cold War, with Touré courting both the Soviet Union and the United States to gain the trade and aid he needed. Under his rule, Touré also became notable for stifling any growing political opposition towards him. After an invasion attempt by Portuguese Guinea, he implemented restrictions on parties opposing him, which was considered a political purge. All political opponents were put into Camp Boiro, a concentration camp that imprisoned anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 people. For the upcoming elections, Touré was unanimously elected and served as president until his death in 1984.
2000s to Present
The next pivotal point in the country’s history came in 2003. Politician and military officer Lansana Conté had already become the country’s second-ever president through a coup in 1984. Throughout his terms, Conté aligned himself with the West and faced multiple allegations of voter fraud to sway general elections in his favor. After facing allegations of rigging the vote in 1993, he won again in 1998, but faced more criticism from the opposition, who accused him of once again manipulating the vote. In 2003, Conté won his third presidential term, garnering 95% of the votes after a boycott by a majority of opposition candidates due to the lack of an independent electoral commission.
The then-president continued to rule over the country, relinquishing little of his power until his death in 2008. Following the death of Conté, the Guinean military seized power through a coup led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara. Under his rule, at least 150 protestors were killed, and at least 109 women and girls were sexually assaulted at a national stadium where they showed out in a protest against Camara’s rule. The crime is considered one of the country’s worst massacres. Camara was promptly shot in the head and fled Guinea. In 2025, he was pardoned for the death and rape of hundreds over alleged health reasons.
In 2010, after Camara left, Alpha Condé took control after he was declared the winner of a one-off presidential race. During his terms, the president was criticized for using an authoritarian method of rule. As president, he would promote limited freedom of speech, ban protests, and arrest anyone who went against him. Most famously, he attempted to amend the constitution to allow himself the opportunity to run for a third term, even though a 2010 addition to the constitution forbade more than two terms. As a result, in the 2020 presidential election, Condé won 59% of the total vote after he stifled any competition. The news led to mass protests, arrests and extra surveillance when it came to the opposition, eventually killing over 20 people.
Although they filed an appeal, the results of the vote were validated by the country’s Constitutional Court on account of the majority of the members being closely affiliated and appointed by Condé. A year later, however, on Sep. 5, Condé was captured during a coup led by Colonel Doumbouya. Since 2022, the military-run government has exiled multiple opposition leaders and has banned all protests. A month before the referendum, three main opposition parties were suspended, citing a lack of “fulfillment” when it comes to their “obligations.”
