Officials count ballots at a polling station as polls close during the presidential election in Conakry, Guinea, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Fode Toure)
Officials count ballots at a polling station as polls close during the presidential election in Conakry, Guinea, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Fode Toure)
CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Junta leader Gen. Mamdi Doumbouya was declared the winner of Guinea’s presidential election held over the weekend, according to incomplete results released late on Tuesday, the country's first election since a 2021 coup.
Doumbouya won 86.72% of the votes counted so far, according to the General Directorate of Elections. Ahead of the vote on Sunday, analysts had predicted that a weakened opposition would result in Doumbouya's win.
More than 50 , and major opposition candidates were either banned from contesting on the grounds of technicalities or were in exile following the clampdown.
After seizing power, Doumbouya had said that he and other military officers would not run in elections. However, a allowed officers to run and extended the presidential term from five to seven years.
Rich in mineral resources with a 15-million-strong population, half of the country is mired in poverty and experiences record levels of food insecurity, according to the World Food Program.
The Simandou iron ore project, a 75% Chinese-owned mega mining project at the world's largest iron deposit, has been the focal point of infrastructural and economic revitalization for the junta.
Production at the site began last month after decades of delay. The authorities are banking on the project to create thousands of jobs and open investments in other sectors, including education and health.
Guinea is one of the several West African countries that have seen a coup or coup attempt since 2020. Military officers have taken on popular discontent with deteriorating security, underwhelming economies, or disputed elections to seize power.