France 24 reported on 1 October 2021 that Colonel Doumbouya, who led the overthrow of President Alpha Conde on 5 September, has been
sworn in as interim president by the Supreme Court for a transition period of unspecified length. According to the new president, his administration's mission is to "re-found the state" by drafting a new constitution, fighting corruption, reforming the electoral system, and then organizing "free, credible and transparent" elections.
World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Guinea returned to civilian rule in 2010, following a 2008 military coup and decades of authoritarian governance. Alpha Conde"s government had used restrictive criminal laws to discourage dissent, and controlled civic space tightly through directives and regulations. Its registration procedure also made life difficult for religious minority groups, including Christians. Colonel Doumbouya has now promised to "˜re-found" the Guinean state. However, military regimes often have a poor track record for delivering on their promises. It remains to be seen whether Colonel Doumbouya"s administration will continue down the path of ex-President Conde and keep curtailing the freedom of expression and assembly or if he will actually deliver on his promises. If he is able to deliver, there is hope for a robust freedom of religion in the country."
