Countdown to the Ballot: ECOWAS- EOM Mission Assesses Guinea Election Readiness for a Credible Electipn Ahead of December 28 2025 Vote. By Raymond Enoch
With just few days to Guinea’s highly anticipated presidential election, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Election Observation Mission (EOM) has delivered an encouraging early verdict on the country’s preparedness, signaling calm political waters and strong civic engagement ahead of the December 28, 2025 polls.
The ECOWAS delegation, deployed as part of the regional bloc’s commitment to democratic governance and credible elections, arrived in Conakry to begin a series of high-level and grassroots engagements designed to assess readiness, risks, and public confidence in the electoral process. The mission was formally received by the ECOWAS Ambassador to Guinea, H.E. Louis-Blaise Aka Brou, who reaffirmed the Commission’s full diplomatic and logistical backing, underscoring ECOWAS’ resolve to support a peaceful and transparent transition.
In a strategic move to gauge developments beyond official institutions, the 15-member EOM team prioritized consultations with civil society organizations widely regarded as the backbone of election monitoring. Meetings with the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and the Network of Civil Society Organizations of Guinea (CNOSCG) painted a picture of extensive preparedness and nationwide mobilization.
Civil society leaders disclosed plans to deploy 8,000 trained domestic observers across Guinea before, during, and after election day—one of the most extensive citizen-led monitoring efforts in the country’s recent history. The observers are expected to track voting procedures, collation processes, and post-election developments, reinforcing public trust and transparency.
Perhaps most striking was the assessment of the political atmosphere. According to civil society briefings, Guinea has recorded no incidents of election-related violence in the lead-up to the vote. Stakeholders described a calm and stable environment, with citizens expressing optimism and readiness for a return to democratic governance and sustainable national development.
Speaking after the engagements, Mr. Serigne Mamadou Ka of the ECOWAS EOM commended the level of coordination and openness demonstrated by local actors. He emphasized that first-hand insights from civil society are critical to the mission’s effectiveness, noting that collaboration at the grassroots level strengthens early warning, credibility, and conflict prevention mechanisms.
As Guinea enters the final stretch before election day, ECOWAS says it will intensify engagements with other stakeholders, including electoral authorities and security agencies, to ensure that the gains recorded so far are consolidated.
With regional eyes firmly on Conakry, the early assessment sends a strong signal: Guinea’s road to December 28 appears steady, watched closely by citizens, civil society, and the West African sub-region alike.
