Guinea inaugurates Coup Leader as Interim President

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A swearing-in ceremony has been conducted for the Guinea junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya on Friday, October 1.

The newly inaugurated interim president is to oversee what regional powers hope will be a short transition to constitutional rule after the September 5 overthrow of President Alpha Conde.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Mohamed V Palace in the capital Conakry with the marked absence of most West African heads of state, who agreed last month to impose sanctions on junta members and their relatives.

“I fully appreciate the magnitude and immensity of the responsibilities entrusted to me,” Doumbouya said in a speech afterwards.

He promised to oversee a transition that would include the drafting of a new constitution, fighting corruption, electoral reform and the organisation of free and transparent elections.

The Economic Community of West African States, a regional bloc, has frozen assets and imposed travel bans on the junta, hoping to encourage a swift return to democracy.

Meanwhile, the Coup leaders have disclosed that they ousted Conde because of concerns about poverty and corruption, and because he was serving a third term only after altering the constitution to permit it.