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Opposition leader urges defiance as Guinea dissolves 40 parties
Guinea's main opposition figure, Cellou Dalein Diallo, has declared that only "direct resistance" can challenge the rule of coup leader-turned-president Mamady Doumbouya, after authorities dissolved 40 political parties this week.
Parties accused of legal violations
The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation announced late Friday that the parties had failed to comply with legal requirements, including submitting financial statements. The decree ordered the closure of all offices, banned their logos and symbols, and seized their assets.
Opposition groups, including Diallo's Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea and former President Alpha Condé's Rally of the People of Guinea, rejected the allegations, insisting they had met all legal obligations, according to Reuters.
Diallo denounces "war" on dissent
In a video statement posted on social media Sunday, Diallo accused Doumbouya's government of declaring "open war" on opponents. He claimed the junta aimed to erase rival political forces to establish a one-party state.
"The head of the junta and his malevolent clique want to rewrite the country's history by erasing all forces that could overshadow his nascent one-party state."
Cellou Dalein Diallo, opposition leader
Diallo, currently in exile, argued that neither dialogue nor democratic processes would bring change under the current regime.
Critics vow legal challenge
Jean-Marc Telliano, former minister and leader of the Rally for the Integrated Development of Guinea, condemned the dissolutions. Reuters quoted him saying his party would "use all legal means" to restore its rights.
Elections loom amid regional crackdowns
The ban comes two months before legislative elections, a key milestone in Guinea's transition from military to civilian rule. The move mirrors a similar decision in Burkina Faso, where authorities banned all political parties in January as the junta consolidated power.
Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup, has faced accusations of suppressing democratic freedoms since his inauguration as president two months ago, following an election that barred several major challengers.
