Conakry – Selected Guinea media outlets can give voice to banned parties ahead of a September referendum, the president of the country’s media regulator said, reversing an earlier decision to prohibit such coverage.
But the regulator suspended Guinee360.com, one of the country’s most important private news sites, for three months, citing unspecified “professional incompetence and manipulation of information.”
The junta-ruled west African country holds a referendum on September 21 that is in theory due to open the way for a return to civilian rule after the military seized power in 2021
Last week, the head of the country’s communications authority (HAC) Boubacar Yacine Diallo banned all media from giving a voice to suspended or dissolved political parties.
The move was denounced by the opposition, which called for demonstrations starting on September 5.
#Guinée : la haute autorité de la communication (HAC) réduit le champ d’action des journalistes. Pendant la campagne pour le #référendum constitutionnel qui démarre ce weekend, les médias sont interdits de donner la parole aux partis politiques suspendus par les autorités. pic.twitter.com/ZNyvRMqCur
— Le journal Afrique TV5MONDE (@JTAtv5monde) August 29, 2025
In a note sent to AFP on Monday, the HAC said that the media “must ensure compliance with the principle of equitable access to their channels, columns, and pages,” without mentioning the ban.
Interviewed by AFP on Monday, Diallo said that the media could give a voice to parties suspended or dissolved by the junta.
He said that his remarks on Thursday “served as recommendations, and only the final HAC document can serve as the campaign rules”.
Since 2022, the military-run government has banned all demonstrations, and has arrested, prosecuted or pushed into exile several opposition leaders.
La Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAC) a enfin sorti une décision officielle pour encadrer la couverture du référendum du 21 septembre 2025 par les médias privés. Contrairement aux déclarations liberticides de son président ces derniers jours, cette note n’interdit ni les… pic.twitter.com/8Jo1N3Eh9a
— Facely Konaté (@FacelyKonate1) August 30, 2025
Earlier this month the government suspended three main political parties — including that of former president Alpha Conde – for three months.
Several dozen other parties have already been recently suspended or dissolved.
The opposition has accused junta leader General Mamady Doumbouya of wanting to seize power through the September 21 referendum.
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Source: AFP
