Regional News
NEW YORK – Guinean President Mamadi Doumbouya has defended his country’s development approach, arguing that African nations should have the freedom to adapt governance and economic models to their own historical, social and cultural realities.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Doumbouya said Guinea had chosen a development path based on what he described as national priorities and local realities, rather than adopting external models without adaptation.
Three years after criticizing what he called imported governance models in Africa, Doumbouya said he returned to the UN platform with a focus on sharing what Guinea had achieved during the intervening period.
“I had said that the imported governance model, without adaptation, on our continent, was struggling to bear the fruits expected by our populations. I maintain it,” he said.
The Guinean leader said the country has adopted a new Constitution, which he described as being shaped by Guineans themselves through discussion, amendments and a referendum.
According to Doumbouya, the Constitution strengthens representation of territories and communities while recognizing Guinea’s linguistic, religious and cultural diversity as part of national unity.
He also said Guinea had completed its presidential, legislative and local electoral cycle under the new constitutional framework, with the elections fully financed by the Guinean Treasury.
“I say this with legitimate pride before this Assembly: none of these elections, across our entire territory, has seen any significant incidents from any of the actors in the electoral process,” Doumbouya said.
He cited what he described as several major achievements during the past three years, including more than 1,000 kilometers of paved roads, schools and hospitals across the country, three alumina refineries under construction and the completion of a large gold refinery.
Doumbouya also highlighted the Simandou mega-project, which he described as the largest mining and infrastructure project in Africa, and the government’s Simandou 2040 development programme.
He said Simandou 2040 is intended to use the country’s mineral resources as a strategic lever for broader economic transformation, including infrastructure, agriculture, energy, education, healthcare and industry.
“Simandou 2040 embodies an ambition for structural transformation of our economy. It is not just a mining project, but a real strategic lever to accelerate the development of infrastructure, agriculture, energy, education, health, and industry,” he said.
The Guinean President identified young people as the country’s greatest resource, calling for greater investment in education, skills development and employment opportunities.
He said initiatives such as the Simandou Academy should help provide young Guineans with training aligned with labour-market needs, alongside opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
Doumbouya urged African countries to consider development models that reflect their own national circumstances, pointing to countries in Asia and the Middle East that, he said, adapted international experience to their own conditions.
“When governance models are adapted to the historical, social, and cultural realities of each nation, rather than being imported without discernment, development accelerates,” he said.
He stressed, however, that adapting national development models should not be interpreted as rejecting international cooperation.
“This is not a rejection of the world or international cooperation, quite the opposite,” Doumbouya said, calling instead for partnerships based on mutual respect, national sovereignty and what he described as “win-win co-construction.”
The Guinean leader said his country would remain open to international cooperation while defending its sovereignty and national choices.
“The Republic of Guinea is moving forward. It is moving forward with its own means, based on its own choices, in service of its own people,” President Doumbouya said.
He expressed hope that Guinea’s experience could contribute to a broader discussion about the different development paths available to African countries.
