Guinea’s Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah has announced that the country will hold legislative and presidential elections in December 2025, signaling a fresh commitment to transitioning back to civilian rule.
The announcement came during his address at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where he also sought to reassure investors about the progress of Guinea’s massive Simandou iron ore project, pledging that “Simandou’s first train will arrive before the elections.”
The West African nation has been under military leadership since Colonel Mamady Doumbouya seized power in a September 2021 coup, ousting then-President Alpha Condé. Although the junta initially proposed a two-year transition, it failed to organize elections and missed its earlier self-imposed deadline of December 31, 2024 for returning to civilian rule.
Last month, the military government scheduled a constitutional referendum for September 21, 2025, which it says will pave the way for elections and a return to constitutional governance.
In July 2024, the junta unveiled a draft constitution, potentially allowing Doumbouya to contest in the next presidential election, raising questions about the transition’s credibility.
Political tensions remain high in Guinea. The country’s two former ruling parties remain suspended, and the main opposition group, the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea, is under government surveillance.
Despite these uncertainties, Bah emphasized Guinea’s intent to move forward both politically and economically, insisting that the new election timeline is firm and that key infrastructure milestones, like the Simandou project, will be met ahead of the vote.
