By Emmanuel Nduka
Mamady Doumbouya, leader of the military junta who ousted Guinean President, Alpha Condé, was on Friday inaugurated as the country’s Interim President.
The 41-year-old Colonel and former ally of the deposed Condé, was sworn in at a ceremony held at the Mohamed V Palace in the capital, Conakry’
The event was boycotted by most West African heads of state.
The coalition of the regional leaders under the auspices of ECOWAS, last month, imposed sanctions on the junta members and their relatives, froze their assets and imposed travel bans on them.
The move however, did not deter the junta to resolve to take their pound of flesh by ousting Condé – whom they accused of corruption, disregarding human rights and economic mismanagement – barely a year into his controversial third term re-election.
Regional powers would now hope that the new interim government propped by the country’s military will be for a short while and transition to civilian rule will return quickly.
“I fully appreciate the magnitude and immensity of the responsibilities entrusted to me,” Doumbouya said in his acceptance speech.
While the junta did not say when it will hand over, Doumbouya pledged to broker transition to constitutional rule and electoral reforms, draft a new constitution and tackle corruption head on.
The junta also said its members will be barred from participating in the next elections, whose date will be decided by an 81-member Transitional National Council (TNC).
