Source : Sahel weather December 2024 

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The political transition is keeping Guineans on their toes. Suspicions about the transition leader's candidacy are rife, and his entourage is doing all it can to enhance his image in the eyes of the public through various programs, despite the ban on public demonstrations in the name of “social cohesion”. A tragedy marked the demonstrations allegedly encouraged by pro-Doumbouya during the final of a soccer tournament named after the General. A stampede occurred during the match, resulting in death and injury in Nzérékoré. Following these events, the authorities declared three days of national mourning. Despite the emotion, the tragedy quickly passed, giving way once again to questions about the future of the political situation in Guinea.

Guinea's political future seems to be in limbo, following the official end of the transition on December 31. As a reminder, in the aftermath of the 2021 coup d'état, the transitional regime had agreed with ECOWAS to return power to civilians on that date. However, initiatives in this direction have been few and far between. Even if the military regime has not made an official statement, the government's language showed that this deadline would not be respected. A few days before the deadline, the government spokesman acknowledged that the deadline marking the end of the transition would not be respected, justifying this by “the need to rebuild the State”, without however declaring a timetable announcing the return to constitutional order. The opposition refuses, however, because the Forces vives de Guinée, a group of political parties and civil society organizations, say they will no longer “ recognize the authorities as of December 31, 2024, demand his departure and the establishment of a civilian transition in January 2025”, and are calling for demonstrations at the same time. The organizations denounce the current authorities' “maneuvers” to ensure the candidacy of the president of the transition, General Mamadi Doumbya, and the failure to achieve the ten major stages of the transition timetable, as well as the restriction offreedoms, the muzzling of the press and dissenting voices, and enforced disappearances.