Guinean authorities on Monday dismissed concerns over the health of President Mamady Doumbouya, assuring the public that he is in “good health” after being absent from the country for more than two weeks.
Doumbouya, 41, left Guinea on February 13 to attend the African Union summit in Addis Ababa but did not immediately return, fueling speculation about his medical fitness and whereabouts. He was last seen publicly speaking at the summit.
His adviser, Thierno Mamadou Bah, told local media that the president had taken “a few days of rest” on the sidelines of the summit and underwent a routine medical check-up. Bah said the results were reassuring and confirmed that Doumbouya is expected back in Conakry “in the next few days.”
“He took advantage of the opportunity to undergo a routine medical examination, as prudent leaders do,” Bah said, adding that there was no cause for concern.
Doumbouya seized power in 2021 after overthrowing Guinea’s first democratically elected president, Alpha Conde. He was later elected to a seven-year term in December in a vote boycotted by major opposition leaders.
Since assuming office, the president has faced criticism over restrictions on civil liberties, including bans on protests and the arrest or exile of political opponents. Guinea, which gained independence in 1958, has a long history of military and authoritarian rule.
