Guinea: The opposition withdraws from the dialogue and the president dissolves the presidential security battalion

News (Conakry) – The Guinean opposition announced the failure of consultations with the ruling Transitional Military Council in the country, adding that it intends to resume demonstrations in the streets.

The “Living Forces in Guinea” coalition, which includes major parties, unions and non-governmental organizations, said it had decided to “withdraw from these fruitless consultations and resume demonstrations in the streets and public squares.”

The opposition coalition had resumed contact with the military and abandoned the demonstrations, to give an opportunity for mediation by religious authorities to succeed.

The opposition is calling for an urgent return of civilians to power, and the release of all political detainees. In return, the ruling military council undertakes to hand over power to civilians, after a two-year transitional period that began in January 2023.

Before the opposition announced its withdrawal from the consultations, the head of the military council, Colonel Mamadi Doumboya, dissolved on Thursday evening, by a decree issued by him, the battalion responsible for presidential security, and the day before he also dismissed the head of military intelligence.