Impressive giant. Who is Mamadi Demboya, author of The Coup in Guinea?

The Guinean flag on his shoulders announced on radio and television the arrest of President Alpha Condé, the dissolution of institutions and the suspension of the constitution. The president himself created this special forces unit. What do we know about the man who runs them?

France, September 6 (RFI). – coup plotters Guineawho captured the president Alpha Conde He announced the dissolution of the institutions, and summoned the outgoing ministers on Monday, after a coup The international community condemned her but chanted in the capital, Conakry.

The Guinean special forcesLed by their commander, Lieutenant Colonel mamady damboyaOn Sunday, they emphasized, with a video tape as evidence, on the head of state to put an end to “financial waste, poverty and rampant corruption”, as well as “abuse of justice and disregard for the rights of citizens.”

It was in 2018 when Guineans discovered Mamadi Demboya. On the occasion of the military parade to celebrate independence, he walked in his new unit of special forces, in a red hat and sunglasses. His masked men make a strong impression.

The official mission of the Special Forces Group (GES) is to fight terrorism. But, according to Aliou Barry, a specialist in military affairs in Guinea, the head of state wanted to make these soldiers, better armed and equipped than others, “a unit in his service to suppress demonstrations” in the country.

At that time, Lieutenant-Colonel Mamadi Domboya, a Malinki from the Kankan region, was in the French Foreign Legion. He was called to lead the GES.

He served in Afghanistan, Ivory Coast and Central African Republic, and received training in Israel, Senegal and Gabon. A Defense Ministry spokesman described him as a “huge and in great physique”.

An ambitious man who aroused the suspicion of the authorities, who began to worry about his desire to seize power. Several months ago, rumors circulated about a possible arrest. According to Aliou Barre, he was suspected of having been in contact with Asmi Gotha, the mastermind of last year’s coup in Mali.

Celebrations in the neighborhoods

It’s a new coup in sub-Saharan Africa in one year, after Mali in 2020 and Chad in 2021.

No deaths were reported at the present time, despite the intense shooting that was heard on Sunday morning in the capital. No serious accidents were recorded during the night from Sunday to Monday.

What would mark the end of a decade of the Conde regime led to scenes of jubilation in various areas of the capital, especially in the neighbourhoods, which are pro-opposition.

Internationally, the coup drew widespread condemnation, from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to the African Union, via the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union.

The United States also joined the criticism, warning that this could “limit” the United States’ ability to help Guinea.

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