Gambiaj.com – (CONAKRY, Guinea) – Authorities in Guinea have dissolved and banned about 40 political parties, including several of the country’s most prominent and historic formations, in a sweeping decision that has sparked sharp criticism from opposition leaders. The ban was pronounced just hours after the return in Conakry of President Mamadi Doumbouya, following a three-week absence from the country.
The measure was announced on national television by Territorial Administration and Decentralization Minister Ibrahima Kalil Condé through an official decree shortly after the return of transitional leader Mamadi Doumbouya to the country on Friday, March 6, following a three-week absence.
Among the parties dissolved are the Rally of the Guinean People – Arc-en-Ciel (RPG Arc-en-ciel), founded by former president Alpha Condé; the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), led by Cellou Dalein Diallo; the Union of Republican Forces (UFR), headed by Sidya Touré; the RDIG of Jean-Marc Teliano; the GRUP of Papa Koly Kourouma; the ARENA party of Sékou Goureissy Condé; the UFD of Mamadou Baadiko Bah; the GeCi of Fodé Mohamed Soumah; and the UPG, founded by the late former prime minister Jean-Marie Doré, among others.
According to the decree, the dissolved parties immediately lose their legal status and political recognition. All political activities conducted in their names are now banned across the country and within Guinean diplomatic missions abroad.
The authorities have also prohibited the use of the parties’ acronyms, logos, emblems, and other identifying symbols. Party headquarters and regional offices are to be sealed, while the assets of the dissolved organizations have been placed under sequestration.
A court-appointed administrator will oversee the management and eventual redistribution of the parties’ property.
Opposition Outrage
The dissolution has provoked strong reactions from opposition figures, particularly UFDG leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, who has been living in exile for several years.
Speaking on Sunday, March 8, Diallo condemned the decision as a serious setback for democracy in Guinea.
He said the time for resignation had passed and urged Guineans to mobilize to restore civil liberties and political rights.
“There is no longer any civic or democratic space,” Diallo said, arguing that political freedoms have been suppressed and that citizens now have no alternative but to engage in what he described as a “frontal resistance” to restore democratic governance.
Diallo claimed that national resources were being looted, institutions manipulated, and the national army weakened, adding that resistance had become both a “moral duty and a historical necessity.”
Reaction From Former Ruling Party
Members of the RPG Arc-en-ciel, the party founded by former president Alpha Condé, also condemned the measure.
Aboubacar Demba Dansoko, a member of the party’s national political bureau, described the dissolution as contrary to democratic norms.
In remarks to local media, Dansoko said the party does not recognize laws adopted by the transitional authorities that he believes are designed to consolidate power and restrict political competition.
He added that the former ruling party remains accustomed to political struggle and would continue to challenge what it views as attempts to impose authoritarian rule.
The dissolution of dozens of political parties marks one of the most far-reaching political decisions taken by the transitional authorities and is likely to intensify tensions between the government and opposition groups as Guinea continues its transition toward constitutional order.
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