Guinea’s authorities have dissolved 40 political parties, including the country’s main opposition groups, in a move that has raised fresh concerns about political freedoms and democratic governance in the West African nation.
The decision was announced late Friday in a decree issued by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, which stated that the affected parties were dissolved for “failure to fulfil their obligations” under the country’s political party regulations.
The decree also stripped the parties of control over their assets.
The sweeping measure comes less than two months after former junta leader and current president, Mamady Doumbouya, was sworn into office, following a political transition after the 2021 military coup that brought him to power.
Authorities did not immediately release the full list of dissolved parties, but reports indicate that three of Guinea’s main opposition groups were among those affected.
The action effectively sidelines major political actors in the country’s opposition landscape.
Guinea has faced increasing scrutiny over restrictions on political activity since the military seized power in 2021, with critics accusing the authorities of tightening control over political space and weakening opposition movements.
The dissolution of the parties is likely to heighten tensions within Guinea’s political environment, as opposition leaders and civil society groups have repeatedly warned about shrinking democratic space during the country’s ongoing transition to civilian rule.
