Guinea's military leader Mamady Doumbouya has told world leaders gathered in New York that the Western-style democracy is not working for Africa, arguing that it has contributed to the plague of political instability in the region.
Doumbouya became Guinea's head of state after leading a coup that deposed then-President, Alpha Conde, who had amended the constitution to run for a third term.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Doumbouya said the model had undermined African values and attempted to impose alien cultures on the people.
“Our continent is suffering from an enforced governance style – a system that works for the West but is not suitable for our traditions and environment,” he told the gathering.
Africa has seen eight coups since 2020 in its West and Central regions, with Burkina Faso and Niger being the most recent. The rest are Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Gabon.
He described the condemnation of the coups by the United Nations and global powers as racist and an attempt to meddle in the affairs of the region.
Doumbouya's government has failed to organize elections after agreeing to a two-year transition period with the regional bloc ECOWAS.
“We are capable of designing our governance style, so treating us like children by telling us what to do is condescending and must stop,” he told world leaders.
Coups in Africa justified
The head of Guinea's junta defended the wave of coups in Africa, describing it as an intervention by the military to save their countries from deception.
Doumbouya urged global leaders to help address the root causes instead of denouncing the military takeovers.
“Putschits are not only people who take power with arms but also those who manipulate the constitution to stay in power eternally,” he stated.
The Guinean leader argued that the coup he led was an “intervention that saved the country from complete chaos.”
Despite his defense of coups in the region, it is evident that the military leadership have not tackled the socio-economic challenges that warranted their actions.
By Sani Abdul-Rahman – 3News