A cross-section of military officers announcing the dissolution of the Goumou-led interim government on national television.
Guinea’s ruling National Council of the Rally for Development (CRND) has dissolved the interim government led by Prime Minister Bernard Goumou. This was announced by the General Secretary to the presidency of the Republic, General Amara Camara in a press release live on Guinea national television, Radio Télévision Guinéenne (RTG).
There were two communiqués signed. The first one was signed by General Mamady Doumbouya and the second by the Chief of Staff of the Armies on behalf of the CRND.
Ibrahima Sory Bangoura, chief of staff of the armed forces, said in a communiqué that members of the dissolved government had to return their vehicles and passports as soon as possible. Their bodyguards also had to end their service and the ministers’ bank accounts were frozen, he added.
Camara announced that Day-to-day affairs will be handled by the directors of cabinet, general secretaries and deputy general secretaries until the establishment of a new government.
The reason for the dissolution was not stated by General Camara, who appeared on TV with 19 other military men behind him, a scene that usually hinted at a military takeover.
The dissolved government was centred around Prime Minister Bernard Goumou, who was announced as Prime Minister by General Doumbouya in August 2022, following the absence of his predecessor, Mohamed Beavogui, due to health reasons.
Some political watchers in the country speculate that there may have been disagreements with the Prime Minister and the way the government operated. This is not impossible. However, the government has on several occasions made adjustments to its own rules of governance since it took power, and this may just be a logical reorganisation, some say.
The last time the government announced a decree that relieved officials of their duties was when it dismissed more than 60 soldiers and prison officers over the jailbreak of former junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara and two others. It is not clear what internal grievances would have led to the current situation.
The confusion around the dissolution increases with the publication of another communiqué that detailed the drastic measures against members of the dissolved government.
These actions, analysts say, raise many questions. Some have even suggested that this may be the harbinger of a new coup d’état, but also a strategy aimed at easing preparations for the imminent creation of a new government of national unity.
In an already tense context, these decisions seem to lay the foundations for a major restructuring within the Guinean government. The dissolution of the government and subsequent measures could either stabilise the situation by paving the way for inclusive national dialogue, or exacerbate tensions by creating a climate of uncertainty and mistrust, some sources say.
