Guinean President Mamadi Doumbouya dismisses 173 soldiers for desertion - BBC News

It is thought to be part of efforts to consolidate the former coup leader's control.

Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, President Mamady Doumbouya, 41, won elections in December - four years after seizing power in a coup

Guinea's President Mamadi Doumbouya, 41, has dismissed more than 170 soldiers for "desertion", including a colonel who helped him seize power in a coup in 2021.

Col Michel Lamah was a member of the Special Forces Group (GFS), the elite army unit which Doumbouya once commanded.

When he overthrew President Alpha Condé, Doumbouya said he would not seek election and would hand over to civilian rule. He went on to renege on that promise and stood in December's election - which he won with a landslide.

The dismissals, announced in a decree on state television, are thought to be part of ongoing efforts by the president to consolidate his control and prevent potential challenges to his leadership.