Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya was officially sworn in Saturday as president of Guinea.
He won the Dec. 28 election with 86.72% of the vote, marking the nation’s return to constitutional rule after four years.
The inauguration took place at General Lansana Conte Stadium in Nongo, on the outskirts of Conakry, attended by African and global leaders.
Doumbouya will serve a seven-year term, formalizing his shift from military ruler to elected civilian president of Guinea.
Before the Supreme Court, he swore allegiance to the nation, pledging to uphold the constitution, laws, and judicial decisions faithfully.
“I swear before God and the people of Guinea to respect the constitution and defend national unity and territorial integrity,” he declared.
The ceremony drew Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Malian President Assimi Goita, and several other West African leaders.
Vice presidents from China, Nigeria, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea were also present, alongside senior officials from multiple African nations.
France was represented by its minister delegate for Francophonie, and the United States by the assistant secretary of state for African affairs.
The presidents of the ECOWAS Commission and the African Union Commission attended, underscoring regional recognition of Guinea’s political transition.
Doumbouya first seized power in September 2021, ousting longtime president Alpha Conde in a military coup that cited corruption and mismanagement.
The junta dissolved state institutions, suspended the constitution, and promised a return to civilian rule amid regional and international pressure.
Negotiations with ECOWAS, which imposed sanctions during the transition, extended the process, delaying the restoration of constitutional governance for over four years.
The Dec. 28 election represented the final step in Guinea’s democratic restoration, securing Doumbouya’s decisive victory and ending the military-led transition.
Guinea, rich in minerals, now faces the challenge of translating political stability into social cohesion, economic growth, and democratic governance for its citizens.
Saturday’s inauguration marks a historic moment, blending ceremonial grandeur with the promise of continuity and national reconciliation after years of uncertainty.
