Guinea Junta Seize Passport, Freezes Accounts Of Dissolved Government Officials

Guinea’s ruling military junta has ordered government members’ bank accounts to be frozen and their passports to be seized after dissolving the administration for reasons yet undisclosed.

Naija News reports that the military, which seized power in a coup in September 2021, issued a decree on Monday announcing the dissolution of the government, which had been in office since July 2022.

In the presence of approximately 20 other soldiers, Chief of Staff, General Ibrahima Sory Bangoura announced on state television that the junta ordered the freezing of their accounts, confiscation of their travel documents, and removal of their service vehicles, bodyguards, and assistants, with no public explanation provided for these actions yet.

Similar to other power seizures in West Africa since 2020, the Guinea junta has prioritized combating corruption.

Public broadcaster RTG aired a three-minute tribute to junta leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, highlighting his reaffirmation of leadership and assertion as the sole master, while referencing “moments of adversity” without providing further details.

Recent tensions among government members have coincided with a rare protest in the capital, Conakry, earlier this month. The junta has detained numerous opposition leaders, civil society members, and journalists, while also restricting internet access for several weeks.

In response to international pressure, Doumbouya has vowed to relinquish control to elected civilians by the end of 2024, with the military asserting that this interim phase will facilitate substantial reforms in Guinea, a country endowed with natural wealth but plagued by poverty.