Gambiaj.com – (CONAKRY, Guinea) – Guinean President Mamadi Doumbouya has ordered the dismissal of several military personnel, including Michel Lamah, one of the soldiers who played a prominent role in the September 2021 coup that overthrew President Alpha Condé.
The decision was announced in a decree made public on Monday, August 24, 2026. Several other members of the Groupement des Forces Spéciales (GFS), or Special Forces Group, are also affected.
According to the decree, Lamah and the other soldiers were removed from the ranks of the Guinean armed forces for “desertion”. However, the decree does not specify when the alleged desertion occurred or the circumstances surrounding their absence from military service.
Soldier who arrested Alpha Condé
Michel Lamah became widely known following the September 5, 2021 coup, when Special Forces soldiers stormed the presidential palace and seized power from Alpha Condé.
Lamah was among the soldiers who took part in the operation. He was particularly visible during the takeover, appearing in public wearing traditional amulets and gris-gris.
He also became known as the soldier who transported the ousted president after his arrest during the coup.
The takeover was led by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, then commander of the Special Forces, who subsequently became head of the National Committee for Reconciliation and Development (CNRD), the military body that has governed Guinea since the coup.
Military reorganization
The dismissal comes as Guinea’s authorities continue to reorganize the country’s defense and security forces following the CNRD’s seizure of power in September 2021.
The government has undertaken a series of measures aimed at restructuring the military and security institutions, with the authorities repeatedly emphasizing discipline and the professionalization of the armed forces.
Lamah’s removal, alongside that of other Special Forces personnel, marks another development in the ongoing restructuring of the military under President Doumbouya.
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