Guineans go to the polls on Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to be won by junta leader Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup.
Doumbouya’s candidacy breaks an earlier promise to return the country to civilian rule by the end of 2024 and not to contest for office.
The vote has been overshadowed by restrictions on opposition participation. Major opposition leaders have been barred from running, prompting calls for a boycott.
U.N human rights chief Volker Türk said the campaign was marked by intimidation, alleged enforced disappearances, and limits on media freedom.
About 6.8 million voters are eligible to choose among nine candidates, including Doumbouya, who is running as an independent.
With rivals largely unknown, analysts say he is likely to secure a first-round victory, with provisional results expected within two days of polling closing.
Critics describe the election as a bid to legitimise continued military rule. A new constitution approved in September allows junta members to run and extends presidential terms from five to seven years.
Opposition figures, including Cellou Dalein Diallo, have dismissed the process as an “electoral charade,” warning it consolidates authoritarian power in a country where more than half the population lives in poverty.
