The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) officially lifted all remaining sanctions against Guinea on Wednesday, following the December 2024 presidential election that saw former junta leader Mamady Doumbouya elected president.
The regional bloc had imposed sanctions after Doumbouya seized power in a 2021 coup, ousting then-President Alpha Condé. Some sanctions were eased in February 2024, including financial restrictions on transactions with ECOWAS institutions.
In a statement, ECOWAS said the lifting of sanctions came after the “successful holding” of a constitutional referendum in September and the December presidential election.
The bloc also fully reinstated Guinea’s membership in its decision-making bodies and other regional activities.
Doumbouya, who was sworn in earlier this month before tens of thousands of supporters and several West African heads of state, secured 86.7 percent of the vote, according to Guinea’s Supreme Court.
ECOWAS congratulated Doumbouya but urged him “to pursue policies towards social cohesion, national unity, and inclusive prosperity of the Guinean people.”
Since the 2021 coup, Doumbouya’s government has been criticized for cracking down on civil liberties, banning protests, and arresting or exiling political opponents.
The regional body’s decision marks a significant step towards Guinea’s full reintegration into West Africa’s political and economic framework after years of isolation.
