Guinea's Referendum Reversal: A Timeline of Events

Author: Sibusiso Gugushe

September 23, 2025

HRRC condemns Guinea’s constitutional referendum, which will tighten the military junta’s control of the state and its resources, and further its violent attempt at reestablishing the country's former authoritarian rule.

Guinea's transitional President Mamady Doumbouya [Image credit: AFP via BBC News]

Guinea held a referendum on a new constitution on September 21, 2025—four years after the coup that removed Alpha Condé from power. This vote is a key step before the country can hold elections and officially return to democratic rule. But there’s a lot of debate over the draft constitution, and many people don’t trust the process, which is creating tension. Since elections have caused political turmoil in Guinea in the past, it’s critical to ease those tensions so the referendum and upcoming elections can happen peacefully. 

The military state is nowhere near delivering on its promise of returning electoral power to its citizens. The evidence lies in some of the incidents that took place all throughout the previous year. On December 2, 2024, 56 people were killed and many more injured in a crowd crush at a football stadium in Nzérékoré, southern Guinea, during a match held in honor of junta leader (and President of Guinea) Mamady Doumbouya. The chaos began after a controversial red card late in the game led to a pitch invasion by angry fans. Security responded with tear gas, causing a deadly stampede. Witnesses described scenes of people being trampled, including children. The tragedy has sparked criticism from opposition groups, who say the event was politically motivated to boost support for Doumbouya. 

Also in December 2024, Guinea’s media scene fell apart under the current transitional government, and it has become harder for journalists to report freely—especially if they’re critical of those in power. The government illegally shut down several private media outlets, blocked social media for months, and jammed radio signals. Journalists continue being arrested, threatened, or even abducted—like Habib Marouane Camara, who went missing after criticizing the government just two days after the stadium massacre. Independent media also struggle financially, especially after advertisers pull out due to censorship, leading to job losses and cutbacks. Despite promises to protect press freedom, the government regularly violates these rights—which are basic human rights—by silencing the media, using intimidation, and avoiding accountability for abuses.

Just two months earlier, in October 2024, two calamities happened concurrently: First, the junta dissolved small political parties, suspended others, and put major opposition groups like the RPG and UFDG under watch. Second, the number of political abductions increased, including the enforced disappearance of high-level individuals such as Guinea’s former Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Mines, Saadou Nimaga, who still hasn’t been found. The government also blocked opposition parties from holding meetings and froze their bank accounts. These restrictions have been extended multiple times, including just a month before the referendum.

Other occurrences include ordering security firms to prevent anyone from exiting or entering the country until all government sectors are under the junta regime and forcing ministers to hand over their passports and their subsidy vehicles.

An extended five- to seven-year term for the president, exclusion of the public and opposition parties in electoral decisions, and charging those in exile with several crimes are just a glimpse of a few of the amendments in the draft constitution, willed into existence by Doumbouya on June 26, 2025. The lack of trust in the new constitution lies in the uncertainty of whether the junta will run for elections or not, as well as the blatant disregard for democracy. 

More recently, in May 2025, Guinea cancelled the licenses of between 46 and 53 mining companies, according to Reuters. Analysts believe this decision could be a warning to bigger firms operating in the country. The action reflects a broader trend of resource nationalism across West African states under military rule, such as Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, where governments have been tightening their grip over mining resources since coups in 2020. Authorities have not explained why the licenses were revoked or whether large mining companies will be targeted next. This uncertainty is a result of little transparency between the state and Guineans, making it harder for people to hold leaders accountable, especially under military rule. 

The deadly Nzérékoré stadium tragedy, attacks on journalists, and the arbitrary suspension of political parties highlight a government that values control over human dignity. The international community must condemn these abuses and stand with the Guinean people in their struggle for freedom, justice, and democratic rights.

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Glossary

• Abduction – The act of taking someone away by force, also known as kidnapping.

• Accountability – When leaders are expected to explain their actions and accept responsibility for mistakes or abuses.

• Authoritarian rule – A system of government where leaders hold strong control, with little or no input from the public.

• Calamities – Very bad or disastrous events.

• Censorship – When the government blocks, controls, or limits information in the media.

• Constitutional referendum – A vote specifically about changing or creating the country’s constitution (the basic laws that guide how the state is run).

• Coup (or coup d’état) – When the military or another group suddenly takes power from the government by force.

• Crowd Crush: a dangerous situation in a mass gathering where many  people in a small space are squeezed together by pressure, leading to injuries or death from inability to breathe

• Democracy– the way a country is run where the people get to help make the decisions, mostly by voting for leaders and laws that they want.

• Dissolution – When something breaks down.

• Electoral  – Choices or actions related to organizing elections (e.g., who can run, how votes are counted).

• Human dignity – The idea that every person deserves respect and fair treatment simply because they are human.

• International community – Other countries, organizations, and global institutions that pay attention to and respond to issues in the world.

• Licences (mining) – Legal permits that allow companies to mine resources like bauxite, gold, or iron.

• Military junta – A government led by military leaders who took power by force, usually after a coup.

• Opposition groups – Political parties or organizations that disagree with and challenge the ruling government.

• Pitch invasion – When fans run onto a sports field, usually out of anger or celebration, disrupting the game.

• Red Card–a red card that a referee holds in the air to indicate that a player who has broken the rules of the game will not be allowed to continue playing.

• Referee–  someone who supervises a sports match, ensuring players follow the rules.

• Referendum – A public vote where citizens decide directly on an important issue, like a new constitution.

• Resource nationalism – When a government takes more control of natural resources like minerals, sometimes limiting or expelling foreign companies.

• Stampede – A sudden rush of a crowd, often causing people to be trampled and injured.

• Subsidy vehicles – Government-provided cars given to ministers or officials as part of their benefits.

• Teargas – A chemical used by police or military to control crowds; it makes people’s eyes burn and causes difficulty breathing.

• Transitional government – A temporary government that is supposed to guide the country from one system (like military rule) to another (like democracy).

• Transparency – Openness in government actions, where information is clear and accessible to the public.

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Sources

1. Africa Center for Strategic Studies. 2025. “Seven Things to Know about Guinea’s Constitutional Referendum.” Africa Center for Strategic Studies. https://africacenter.org/spotlight/guinea-constitutional-referendum/.

2. Aradi, Gloria. 2024. “Guinea's military junta dissolves government and seals borders.” BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68314158.

3. Hochet-Bodin, Noé. 2024. “Guinea.” RSF. https://rsf.org/en/country/guinea.

4. Reporters Without Borders. n.d. “Guinea.” RSF. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://rsf.org/en/country/guinea.

5. Reuters. 2025. “Guinea to vote on constitution that would let coup leader run for office.” Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/guinea-vote-constitution-that-would-let-coup-leader-run-office-2025-09-17/.