Wayne Lumbasi
Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya has dismissed 173 members of the country’s armed forces for desertion, in one of the broadest military shake ups since he seized power in the September 2021 coup.
The dismissals were announced in a presidential decree broadcast on Guinea’s state television. General Amara Camara, the minister secretary general of the presidency, read the decree announcing the removal of the military personnel from service.
Among those dismissed is Colonel Michel Lamah, a former member of Guinea’s elite Special Forces Group and an officer who was closely associated with the 2021 military takeover that brought Doumbouya to power.
Lamah became widely known during the September 5, 2021 coup after Special Forces troops stormed the presidential palace and arrested then President Alpha Condé. Images of Lamah transporting the deposed president following his arrest circulated widely at the time. Doumbouya, who was then commander of the Special Forces, led the takeover and subsequently became head of the military government.
The presidential decree officially cites “desertion” as the reason for the dismissals. However, it does not provide details on when the alleged desertions occurred or the circumstances surrounding the individual cases.
The personnel affected reportedly come from different branches and units of Guinea’s defence and security forces, including the Special Forces, infantry units, airborne troops and gendarmerie. The decree refers to Articles 24 and 25 of Guinea’s General Statute for Military Personnel, which provide for disciplinary measures in cases of desertion.
The inclusion of Lamah has drawn particular attention because of his role in the operation that helped Doumbouya overthrow Condé nearly five years ago.
Doumbouya came to power after Condé’s government faced growing political tensions following a controversial constitutional change that allowed the former president to seek a third term. The coup ended Condé’s 11 year presidency and installed a military-led transition under Doumbouya.
The current dismissals come as Doumbouya continues to reshape Guinea’s military and security institutions. His government has repeatedly stressed military discipline, respect for the chain of command and professionalisation of the armed forces.
The move also comes after Doumbouya transitioned from military ruler to elected president. He contested Guinea’s December 2025 presidential election and won by a landslide, despite earlier assurances that he would not seek elected office after taking power.
His political transition has attracted criticism, particularly over restrictions on political activity and the exclusion of major opposition figures from the electoral process. The dismissal of 173 military personnel therefore adds another significant chapter to the restructuring of Guinea’s security establishment under Doumbouya.
For now, the government has given desertion as the formal justification for the dismissals. It has not publicly stated that the affected soldiers were removed because of political disagreements or because they posed a threat to the president.
But the dismissal of a former coup ally such as Michel Lamah is likely to keep attention focused on the changing balance of power within Guinea’s military, particularly as Doumbouya seeks to consolidate control over the institutions that brought him to power in 2021.
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