(Ecofin Agency) - When addressing the nation on Sunday, October 1, on the eve of his country's independence day, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya (pictured) took stock of the situation since he came to power and announced his next steps.

“Our country, Guinea, is on the path of reconciliation, development and prosperity. But many things still need to be done. Many challenges remain. And we have to address them all together,” he said.

“We all know the answers to these challenges are quite complex […] when the Defense and Security Forces took up their responsibilities to change what needed to be changed in our country on September 5, 2021, the social fabric was completely down with a virtual absence of the values of living together", he explained. Mamadi Doumbouya reassured the population that the transitional government is taking actions to “implement institutional and political reforms to achieve the objectives of good governance”. He said fighting corruption and promoting transparency are high on his agenda. He also plans to work to reduce the country's dependence on foreign markets and rely more on local products to accelerate economic diversification and create jobs. “Guinea has abundant natural resources that must be exploited for the benefit of all Guineans. We will also boost investment in several sectors.”

However, many observers believe that the country will only be able to attract investors if it truly returns to political stability. Since the coup that toppled the former president-elect, Alpha Condé, in September 2021, Guinea’s political climate has remained tense, with the government on one side and civil society and the opposition on the other.

In his address to the nation, President Doumbouya did not comment on the electoral dates initially scheduled for 2024. The return to civilian rule as soon as possible is eagerly awaited by the entire political class, as well as by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The latter suspended Guinea from its membership as soon as the putsch took place.