Guinea junta agrees with bloc to hold vote in early 2025

By BOUBACAR DIALLO
Associated Press

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — West African regional mediators have reached a deal with Guinea’s military leader to organize new elections by January 2025. The announcement late Friday is the latest deal negotiated by the regional bloc known as ECOWAS after a spate of coups in West Africa. ECOWAS previously reached agreements with both Mali and Burkina Faso, though the latter has now been thrown into doubt after a second coup this year. In Guinea, Col. Mamady Doumbouya overthrew the country’s president of a decade back in September 2021. It’s taken more than a year to reach an agreement with his government. The two-year plan starts in January, with elections by early 2025.