From camouflage to tracksuits - Guinea's junta leader becomes civilian president

BBCFrom the moment he seized power in September 2021 Guinea's Mamadi Doumbouya struck an imposing figure.Just 36 years old at the time, the broad-shouldered colonel, standing at well over six feet (1.8m), wearing military fatigues, mirrored sunglasses and a red beret certainly made an impression when announcing the coup.A relatively unknown member of an elite army unit, he declared that the government of ousted President Alpha Condé had disregarded democratic principles and that citizens' rights were being trampled on.After more than four years of acting as interim president, and going back on a promise not to run for leadership of the country, Doumbouya, now 41, was sworn in as the elected head of state on Saturday.The discreet, disciplined and private man won 87% of the vote in December's election against a severely depleted field.Ex-Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, now in exile, described the process as a charade which generated "fabricated" results.While seemingly enjoying some popular support, critics have questioned Doumbouya's democratic credentials as some political parties have been banned, activists have mysteriously disappeared and media outlets been shut down.Scrolling back through the social media accounts from the president's office there is a sense of a carefully curated image.The army man, now a general, has, for the main, ditched the camouflage in favour of the baseball cap and tracksuit, or a boubou - traditional Guinean attire of loose-fitting robes with elaborate embroidery. The shades though are still at times in evidence.Pictures show him at the opening of schools, or transport and mining infrastructure or cycling through the streets of the capital, Conakry. The message is clear: this is a man of action who is working on behalf of the people."This was presenting an image of someone who can be close to civilians, someone who is a civilian leader and can be representative of the people," Beverly Ochieng, senior analyst with Dakar-based security intelligence firm Control Risks, told the BBC."In some ways this is distancing himself from what brought him to power – a coup - and the fact that his entire career has been in the military."Return to civilian orderIn the 15 years before he took power, Doumbouya gained extensive international experience, including being educated to master's level in France and serving in the French Foreign Legion. He was also in Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Central African Republic and worked on close protection in Israel, Cyprus and the UK.But the donning of civilian clothes may not be entirely sincere, according to some analysts."I'm not sure that he has transitioned from a military man. I think that the military costume will remain even if he is conducting the return to civilian order," argued Aïssatou Kanté, a researcher in the West Africa office of the Institute of Security Studies.She referred to a ban on political demonstrations, the exclusion of Doumbouya's main challengers in December's election and the suspension of key opposition parties.Human rights campaigners have demanded to know the whereabouts of two activists - Oumar Sylla (known as Foniké Menguè) and Mamadou Billo Bah – who have not been seen since July 2024. They suspect the men were taken by the military.Press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders has also expressed concern that journalist Habib Marouane Camara has been missing for more than a year. It has described how journalists are now censoring themselves and are fearful about what might happen to them.Nevertheless, the 2021 coup was widely welcomed in the country and since then Doumbouya appears to have remained a popular figure. Read more here: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv70mek448o

From camouflage to tracksuits - Guinea's junta leader becomes civilian president

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-03

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From camouflage to tracksuits - Guinea's junta leader becomes civilian president

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-03

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