By Micah Jonah | January 24, 2026
General Mamady Doumbouya, who led Guinea’s 2021 military coup, has officially been sworn in as the country’s President, following last month’s election, in what marks Guinea’s first presidential vote since the military takeover.
The swearing-in ceremony, held at the General Lansana Conte Stadium on the outskirts of Conakry, drew tens of thousands of supporters and several African heads of state. Dressed in traditional attire, Doumbouya pledged to uphold the constitution and enforce laws, regulations, and judicial decisions faithfully.
The 2026 election saw Doumbouya, who had initially promised not to run, contest against eight other candidates. However, key opposition figures remained in exile, calling for a boycott. The Supreme Court of Guinea later declared Doumbouya the winner with 86.7 percent of the vote.
Among dignitaries at the event were Leaders and Vice Presidents from Rwanda, The Gambia, Senegal, China, Nigeria, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea, as well as officials from France and the United States. Malian President, Assimi Goita, another military leader in West Africa, was also in attendance.
The election followed a constitutional referendum in September that allowed military leaders to run for office and extended the presidential term from five to seven years, with a two-term limit.
Doumbouya justified the 2021 military takeover citing corruption and economic mismanagement under former President Alpha Conde, Guinea’s first freely elected president since independence in 1958. During his four-year rule before the election, the military dissolved state institutions, suspended the constitution, banned protests, and targeted political opponents.
With nearly 52 percent of Guineans living in poverty, Doumbouya has pledged to harness the country’s rich natural resources, including vast iron ore and bauxite deposits, to boost development.
