GUINEA’S political landscape faces renewed turmoil following the arrest of Aliou Bah, leader of the Liberal Democratic Movement (MoDel), accused of ‘insulting’ the country’s interim military president, Mamady Doumbouya. Bah’s detention has drawn condemnation from human rights groups, who see it as part of a worrying trend of political suppression under the current regime.
Criticism sparks arrest
Aliou Bah was detained on Thursday while traveling to Sierra Leone with two colleagues. His lawyer, Antoine Pepe Lamah, described the arrest as politically motivated. ‘Mr Bah is a real prisoner of conscience,’ Lamah said. ‘His only crime is voicing criticism against a state increasingly linked to forced disappearances and kidnappings.’
Human rights organisations swiftly condemned Bah’s detention, highlighting broader concerns about freedom of expression in Guinea.
Military rule and growing repression
General Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup, has faced mounting criticism for his administration’s human rights record. The military regime overthrew former civilian president Alpha Condé, promising reform and stability, yet incidents of political persecution and disappearances have surged.
Two prominent opposition figures arrested in July remain missing, while mysterious deaths of key figures—including a former army chief of staff—have raised alarms about state-sanctioned abuses.
Earlier this month, a journalist from Lerevelateur224 was reportedly abducted by men in uniform in Conakry. His whereabouts remain unknown, amplifying fears over the safety of dissenting voices under Doumbouya’s government.
Opposition calls for accountability
The opposition has accused the regime of escalating human rights violations, using intimidation and suppression to stifle dissent. Bah’s arrest underscores the tense political climate in Guinea, where critics of the government increasingly face risks of detention, disappearance, or worse.
As international human rights organisations monitor the situation, Guinea’s leadership faces growing pressure to uphold its promises of political transparency and respect for civil liberties.
