Conakry – Guinea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a ban on a gathering of one of the country’s main political parties, as the West African nation’s military junta is accused of cracking down on opposition ahead of a constitutional referendum.
The opposition Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) was told by the country’s interior ministry in late June that it would have to suspend its forthcoming congress, which would have gathered its leaders in Conakry.
The ministry said the congress risked causing unrest after expelled party dissidents threatened to disrupt the gathering unless they were reinstated.
The UFDG appealed the matter to the Supreme Court.
On Thursday, Hawa Daraud Kourouma, president of the high court, said that it “rejects” the arguments raised by the UFDG and “declares its request inadmissible”.
Following the banning of the congress, Guinea suspended three opposition parties, including the UFDG, for three months in late August.
Several dozen other parties have already been recently suspended or dissolved.
Guinea is readying for protests starting Sunday called by the main parties and civil society groups to condemn the constitutional referendum, which they see as a power grab by the head of the junta, General Mamadi Doumbouya.
The adoption of a new constitution could do away with restrictions that would have prevented Doumbouya and other junta leaders from running for president.
Doumbouya’s military-run government has banned all demonstrations since 2022, and has arrested, prosecuted or pushed into exile several opposition leaders.
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Source: AFP
