Guinea’s junta faces protests after missing a deadline for a return to democracy – The Associated Press
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Excerpt:
Parts of Guinea’s capital have been on lockdown as civil society and opposition groups in the West African nation protested the ruling junta’s missed deadline to launch a return to democracy, with the U.S. calling for clear timelines to hold long-delayed elections.
Meanwhile, a court jailed opposition leader Aliou Bah for two years after he was charged with “insulting” the junta leader following his arrest in December.
Bah, who leads the Liberal Democratic Movement, is one of the few critics of the junta who has not gone into exile as pressure grows on perceived dissent and independent media. “It’s a sad day for freedom of expression (and) a blow to Guinean democracy,” said Bah’s lawyer, Antoine Pépé Lama.
Guinea is one of several West African countries where the military has taken power and delayed a return to civilian rule. Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, in power since 2021, agreed in 2022 to launch a democratic transition after a Dec. 31, 2024, deadline.
