Gen. Mamady Doumbouya has been sworn in as president of Guinea, formalizing his transition from military ruler to elected head of state after winning last year’s presidential election by a wide margin, according to official results.
Doumbouya took the oath of office at a ceremony in the newly built General Lansana Conte Stadium on the outskirts of Conakry, surrounded by tens of thousands of supporters and delegations from across Africa and beyond.
He won about 86.7 percent of the vote in the Dec. 28 election, the first presidential poll since his 2021 takeover.
The elections were held under a new constitution approved by Guinean voters in a referendum last September.
The changes removed a ban on military leaders running for office and extended presidential terms from five to seven years, paving the way for Doumbouya’s candidacy.
Doumbouya came to power in a coup that ousted President Alpha Condé in 2021 and subsequently suspended the constitution and dissolved state institutions.
During the transitional period, his government faced criticism from rights groups and opposition figures, who said civil liberties were constrained and protests were banned.
The inauguration drew heads of state and government representatives from several countries, including Rwanda, The Gambia, Senegal, and vice presidents from China, Nigeria, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea, as well as officials from France and the United States.
