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Guinea’s Supreme Court confirms final results of parliamentary and local elections
In Guinea, the Supreme Court confirmed the final results of the parliamentary and local elections held on 31 May last Friday, after rejecting appeals lodged by several parties against the provisional results. Accordingly, the Génération pour la Modernité et le Développement (GMD) movement and its allied parties, which are regarded as part of the president’s camp, have secured 127 of the 147 seats in parliament, giving them a clear two-thirds majority. The remaining 20 seats are held by various opposition parties and other parties not affiliated with the president’s camp. Among others, the Avenir de la Guinée Nouvelle (AGN) won four seats, making it the strongest opposition party; the Front Démocratique de Guinée (FRONDEG) and the Bloc Libéral each secured one seat. In the local elections too, the GMD achieved an absolute or relative majority in most local councils. According to official figures, voter turnout stood at 53.84 per cent.
AGN party leader Mory Kaba described his party’s entry into parliament as a success and announced a proactive opposition strategy. Meanwhile, criticism of the Supreme Court’s decision came from, amongst others, seven opposition parties, which had contested the provisional results published by the Directorate General of Elections (DGE) on the grounds of alleged irregularities. They accused the authorities of irregularities in the count and of announcing the results prematurely on state television before the count had been completed, and called for a recount or for the election to be annulled and repeated. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals on Friday on the grounds of insufficient evidence to support the claims made. A lawsuit brought by the Bloc Libéral alleging a lack of electoral freedom and transparency was also dismissed.
Many observers had already anticipated the presidential camp’s election victory in the run-up to the polls. A large proportion of the opposition had not taken part in the parliamentary and local elections. This followed the government’s decision in March to dissolve 40 political parties, including the three largest opposition parties: the Union des Forces Démocratiques de Guinée (UFDG), the Rassemblement du Peuple de Guinée Arc-en-Ciel (RPG) and the Union des Forces Républicaines (UFR). It justified the move on the grounds that the parties had failed to fulfil their legal obligations. The presidential election at the end of 2025, in which Mamadi Doumbouya – who had come to power in 2021 following a military coup (Press Review CW 36/2021) – was officially elected president, had already taken place under similar conditions and revealed comparable political trends (Press Review CW 2/2026). His government faces repeated accusations regarding the restriction of political freedoms, the repression of the opposition and the crackdown on critics of the regime. With the Supreme Court’s ruling, the electoral process is now complete. The newly elected MPs are to be sworn in within 30 days. This will be followed by the election of the Speaker of Parliament and the formation of the parliamentary presidium.
Burkina Faso adopts law on religious freedom
On Saturday, the Burkinabe parliament, the Assemblée législative du peuple (ALP), unanimously passed a law on freedom of religion. All 59 members of parliament present voted in favour, while nine were absent. It is the first national law to regulate religious practices in the country. It will enter into force as soon as President Ibrahim Traoré formally promulgates it and it is published in the Official Gazette.
Consisting of six sections and 110 articles, the law governs the relationship between the state and religion. Among other provisions, it prohibits places of worship in public institutions and restricts religious education to denominational schools; it will no longer be permitted in state-run or private secular schools. Religious communities will be required to affiliate with a state-recognised umbrella organisation and are subject to a new state monitoring procedure. This includes, among other things, the requirement to demonstrate the religious qualifications of preachers and those responsible for places of worship. The financing of religious organisations and their financial transparency will also be subject to stricter regulation. The law is also intended to provide better protection for minors and other vulnerable individuals against exploitation for religious purposes. Religiously motivated hate speech or the destruction of places of worship may be punishable by prison sentences ranging from one to seven years or fines of up to CFA francs 10 million (approximately €15,000). The official aim is to strengthen the principle of a secular state and to promote peaceful coexistence between different faiths.
The law was passed against a backdrop of political tension. Whilst parts of the population welcomed the law, several Muslim religious leaders criticised in particular the ban on places of worship in public institutions. Critical voices also emerged from among former supporters of the military junta, which seized power in a coup in 2022. The regime led by interim President Ibrahim Traoré responded with repressive measures. At the end of March, the activist Mahamadi Baguian and the imam Mahmoud Barro were arrested. Both had previously been regarded as supporters of the junta. Baguian died in custody, while Barro has been missing since 31 March. At the end of May, the influential Sunni imam Mohamad Ishaq Kindo was also arrested following critical remarks and has been missing ever since. This led to protests in the capital, Ouagadougou, during which nearly 100 demonstrators were arrested. The regime subsequently ordered the closure of the city’s largest Sunni Mosque.
The law dates back to a draft from 2012 and has since undergone a lengthy consultation process between the government and religious communities. In 2023, it was revised once again by the military government. The effort to impose greater regulation on religious affairs must be understood in the context of the long-running conflict with jihadist groups. Burkina Faso, where around 64 per cent of the 25 million inhabitants are Muslim, has been affected by Islamist violence since 2012, after the conflict had spread from neighbouring Mali to other parts of the Sahel region. Traoré, who promised upon taking power to combat jihadism within six months and to hold swift elections, continues to face insecurity and ongoing violence. At the same time, the regime has come under criticism for its authoritarian tendencies and restrictions on civil liberties. International human rights organisations such as Amnesty International have recently condemned the increasing repression of civil society.
Special news
On Wednesday, Zimbabwe’s Senate approved a constitutional amendment to extend the presidential term from five to seven years. 75 senators voted in favour of the bill, with four against. This would mean that the incumbent president, Emmerson Mnangagwa (83), whose second and final term would have ended in 2028, would remain in office until 2030. The reform also stipulates that, in future, the president will no longer be elected directly by the people, but by parliament. The lower house of the bicameral parliament had already approved the bill last Thursday by 216 votes to 42; it must now be signed by Mnangagwa to come into force. Critics accuse the ruling party of staging a “constitutional coup”, whilst supporters describe the reform as a step towards greater political stability and accountability. Police have recently cracked down hard on protests against the plan. All legal attempts to halt the amendment process or have it declared invalid have failed.
In other news – World Cup Special
Several African teams again caused a stir at this week’s men’s FIFA World Cup with their strong performances. Six days after their 0–0 draw against tournament favourites Spain, Cape Verde secured a 2–2 draw on Monday against two-time world champions Uruguay. Kevin Pina scored Cape Verde’s first World Cup goal with a long-range shot from around 31 metres in the 21st minute. Ghana provided another surprise on Tuesday, with their compact defence driving the England national team to despair. The match ended in a goalless 0–0 draw. Meanwhile, Côte d’Ivoire suffered a narrow 1–2 defeat against Germany on Saturday. The youngest team in the tournament impressed above all with high tempo, quick transitions, and solid defensive work. In their final group match against Curaçao on Thursday, however, the team secured an important 2-0 victory. Meanwhile, South Africa made history: the “Bafana Bafana” defeated South Korea 1–0 on Thursday morning, reaching the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time. Egypt also celebrated a landmark achievement, recording its first-ever World Cup win with a 3–1 victory over New Zealand. Mohamed Salah set a tournament record with ten goal involvements. Algeria also had reason to celebrate on Tuesday. Vladimir Petković’s team came from behind to secure a 2–1 victory against Jordan, eliminating their opponents from the World Cup in the process. It was also a successful week for two-time Africa Cup of Nations winners Morocco. The “Atlas Lions” celebrated a 1–0 win over Scotland as well as a 4–2 victory against Haiti. With South Africa, Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire, three African teams qualified for the round of 32 this week. Cape Verde, Ghana, Egypt and Algeria will continue to fight in the coming days for a place in the knockout stage. Tunisia, on the other hand, have been eliminated from the tournament.