Editing Guinea (section)

== Politics ==
{{Further|Politics of Guinea}}

Guinea is a republic. The president is directly elected by the people and is the [[head of state]] and the [[head of government]]. The unicameral National Assembly is the [[legislative body]] of the country, and its members are directly elected by the people. The judicial branch is headed by the {{ill|Supreme Court of Guinea|fr|Cour suprême (Guinée)}}, the highest and final court of appeal in the country.<ref name="reuters.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guinea-election-idUSBRE9AF0AP20131116|title=Guinea's Supreme Court rejects election challenges|work=Reuters|date=16 November 2013|access-date=23 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924190855/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/16/us-guinea-election-idUSBRE9AF0AP20131116|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live|last1=Samb|first1=Saliou}}</ref> Since the [[2021 Guinean coup d'état|2021 coup d'état]], the National Assembly and Supreme Court have been suspended, as well as elections to choose the president. The country is currently led by special forces commander [[Mamady Doumbouya]].

The [[National Assembly of Guinea]], the country's legislative body, did not meet from 2008 to 2013, when it was dissolved after the military coup in December. [[Guinean legislative election, 2013|Elections]] have been postponed multiple times since 2007. In April 2012, President Condé postponed the elections indefinitely, citing the need to ensure that they were "transparent and democratic".<ref name="RNW Africa Desk">{{cite web|title=Guinea president postpones parliamentary elections indefinitely|url=http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/guinea-president-postpones-parliamentary-elections-indefinitely|publisher=Radio Netherlands Worldwide|access-date=22 August 2012|author=RNW Africa Desk|date=28 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430121146/http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/guinea-president-postpones-parliamentary-elections-indefinitely|archive-date=30 April 2012}}</ref> The [[Guinean legislative election, 2013|2013 Guinean legislative election]] was held on 24 September.<ref>{{cite news|title=Guinea election body sets legislative polls for September 24|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guinea-election-idUSBRE9681C720130709|access-date=7 August 2013|work=Reuters|date=9 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130710140423/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/09/us-guinea-election-idUSBRE9681C720130709|archive-date=10 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> President [[Alpha Condé]]'s party, the [[Rally of the Guinean People]] (RPG), won a [[Plurality (voting)|plurality]] of seats in the [[National Assembly of Guinea]], with 53 out of 114 seats.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-11-16 |title=Guinea's Supreme Court upholds election result |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-24966937 |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Cellou Dalein Diallo]]'s UFDG party won 37 seats, and opposition leaders denounced the official results as fraudulent.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-05-18 |title=Guinea profile - Leaders |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13442053 |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The [[president of Guinea]] is normally elected by popular vote for a 5-year term; the winning candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected president. The president governs Guinea, assisted by a [[Cabinet of Guinea|cabinet]] of 25 civilian [[Minister (government)|ministers]], appointed by him. The government administers the country through 8 regions, 33 [[prefecture]]s, over 100 [[subprefecture]]s, and districts (known as [[commune (subnational entity)|commune]]s in Conakry and other cities and villages, or ''quartiers'' in the interior). District-level leaders are elected; the president appoints officials to all other levels of the centralized administration. Former President [[Alpha Condé]] derived support from Guinea's second-largest ethnic group, the [[Malinke]].<ref name="Guinea 2013">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guinea-violence-idUSBRE96G00820130717|title="Guinea's Conde appeals for calm after 11 killed in ethnic clashes", Reuters, 16 July 2013.|work=Reuters|date=17 July 2013|access-date=15 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006190639/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/17/us-guinea-violence-idUSBRE96G00820130717|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Guinea's opposition was backed by the [[Fula people|Fula]] ethnic group,<ref name="Fula">In {{langx|fr|link=no|Peul}}. In {{langx|ff|Fulɓe}}.</ref> who account for around 33.4% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guinea/#people-and-society|title=Guinea|date=23 September 2021}}</ref>

=== Foreign relations ===
{{Further|Foreign relations of Guinea}}

[[File:Vladimir Putin and Alpha Condé (2017-09-28) 2.jpg|thumb|President [[Alpha Condé]] with Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] on 28 September 2017]]

Guinea is a member of the [[African Union]], [[Agency for the French-Speaking Community]], [[African Development Bank]], [[Economic Community of West African States]], [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development|World Bank]], [[Islamic Development Bank]], [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], and the [[United Nations]].

According to a February 2009 [[U.S. Department of State]] statement, Guinea's foreign relations, including those with its West African neighbours, had improved steadily since 1985.<ref>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2824.htm Background Note: Guinea], US Department of State, February 2009</ref> The Department's October 2018 statement indicated that although "the U.S. condemned" Guinea's "2008 military coup d'etat," the U.S. had "close relations" with Guinea before the coup, and after "Guinea's presidential elections in 2010, the United States re-established strong diplomatic relations with the government." The statement indicated support for the "legislative elections in 2013 and a second presidential election in 2015" as signs of "democratic reform."<ref name="us_relations_2018_10_30_state_gov">[https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-guinea/ "U.S. Relations With Guinea,"] 30 October 2018, [[United States Department of State]], retrieved 6 September 2021</ref>

A March 2021 report by the U.S. Department of State blasted extensive human rights violations by the government, security forces and businesses in Guinea. The report cited extensive international criticism of the recent national elections, which yielded "President Alpha Conde's re-election (despite disputed results) [...] following a controversial March referendum amending the constitution and allowing him to run for a third term."<ref name="human_rights_guinea_2021_03_30_state_gov">[https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/guinea/ "2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Guinea,"] 30 March 2021, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, [[U.S. Department of State]], retrieved 9 September 2021</ref> The department condemned the 2021 coup. The U.S. called for "national dialogue to address concerns sustainably and transparently".<ref name="us_relations_2021_09_05_state_gov">[https://www.state.gov/on-the-military-seizure-of-power-in-guinea/ "On the Military Seizure of Power in Guinea,"], 5 September 2021, [[United States Department of State]], retrieved 6 September 2021</ref><ref name="guinea_coup_leader_2021_09_06_reuters">[https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/uneasy-calm-guinea-after-president-condes-apparent-ouster-2021-09-06/ "Guinea coup leader bars foreign travel for government officials,"] [[Reuters News Service]], retrieved 6 September 2021</ref>

The United Nations promptly denounced the 2021 coup, and some of Guinea's allies condemned the coup. The [[African Union]] and West Africa's regional bloc ([[ECOWAS]]) both threatened sanctions, while some analysts expect the threats to be of limited effect because Guinea is not a member of the West African currency union and is not a landlocked country.<ref name="guinea_coup_leader_2021_09_06_reuters" /> ECOWAS promptly suspended Guinea's membership and demanded the unconditional release of President Condé, while sending envoys to Conakry to attempt a "constitutional" resolution of the situation.<ref name="leaders_due_in_guinea_2021_09_09_reuters" /><ref name="leaders_suspend_guinea_2021_09_08_bbc" /> China opposed the coup too.<ref name="china_is_ok_2021_09_foreign_policy" />

=== Military ===
{{Main|Military of Guinea}}

Guinea's armed forces are divided into 5 branches—army, navy, air force, the paramilitary National [[Gendarmerie]] and the Republican Guard—whose chiefs report to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is subordinate to the Minister of Defence. In addition, regime security forces include the National Police Force (Sûreté Nationale). The Gendarmerie, responsible for internal security, has a strength of several thousand.

The army, with about 15,000 personnel, is by far the largest branch of the armed forces and is mainly responsible for protecting the state borders, the security of administered territories, and defending Guinea's national interests. Air force personnel total about 700. Its equipment includes several Russian-supplied fighter planes and transports. The navy has about 900 personnel and operates several small [[patrol craft]] and barges.

=== Human rights ===
{{main|Human rights in Guinea}}

[[LGBT rights in Guinea|Homosexuality]] is illegal in Guinea.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/13/here-are-the-10-countries-where-homosexuality-may-be-punished-by-death-2/ |title=Here are the 10 countries where homosexuality may be punished by death |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=16 June 2016 |access-date=21 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111064457/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/13/here-are-the-10-countries-where-homosexuality-may-be-punished-by-death-2/ |archive-date=11 November 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> The prime minister declared in 2010 that he does not consider sexual orientation a legitimate human right.<ref name='State 2011'/>

Guinea has one of the world's highest rates of [[female genital mutilation]] (FGM, sometimes referred to as 'female circumcision') according to Anastasia Gage, an associate professor at [[Tulane University]], and Ronan van Rossem, an associate professor at [[Ghent University]].<ref>{{cite journal|last2=Gage|first2=AJ|year=2009|title=The effects of female genital mutilation on the onset of sexual activity and marriage in Guinea|journal=Arch Sex Behav|volume=38|issue=2|pages=178–85|doi=10.1007/s10508-007-9237-5|pmid=17943434|last1=Van Rossem|first1=R|s2cid=40103661}}</ref> Female genital mutilation in Guinea had been performed on more than 98% of women {{As of|2009|lc=y}}.<ref name="The effects of female genital mutil">{{cite journal|last2=Gage|first2=A. J.|year=2009|title=The effects of female genital mutilation on the onset of sexual activity and marriage in Guinea|journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior|volume=38|issue=2|pages=178–185|doi=10.1007/s10508-007-9237-5|pmid=17943434|last1=Rossem|first1=R. V.|s2cid=40103661}}</ref> In Guinea "almost all cultures, religions, and ethnicities" practice female genital mutilation.<ref name="The effects of female genital mutil"/> The 2005 [[Demographic and Health Survey]] reported that 96% of women have gone through the operation.<ref name='State 2011'/>