Guinea Narks Constitutional Referendum Under ECOWAS Watch.
By Raymond Enoch
Guinea held a national constitutional referendum on September 21, drawing close attention from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which deployed a technical observation mission across the country. The mission, comprising 11 experts from the electoral commissions of ECOWAS member states and supported by the ECOWAS Commission, was tasked with assessing the conduct and credibility of the vote. The observers were stationed across five administrative regions: Conakry, Kindia, Mamou, Labé, and Kankan. The referendum represents a key moment in Guinea’s ongoing efforts to reform its constitution and strengthen democratic institutions.
The ECOWAS delegation visited several polling units, with Resident Representative of the ECOWAS Commission to Guinea, His Excellency Louis-Blaise Aka-Brou, observing the process firsthand in Conakry. Accompanied by Mr. Serigne Mamadou Ka, Acting Head of the Electoral Assistance Division, Aka-Brou reported that voting materials were delivered on time and that polling stations opened as scheduled. He noted the generally peaceful and calm atmosphere in which the vote was conducted, underscoring the importance of transparent electoral processes in sustaining regional stability.
As part of its monitoring efforts, the ECOWAS team also visited the Situation Room of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), where it exchanged field observations and assessments with civil society stakeholders. The collaboration between regional observers and local peacebuilding actors highlighted a shared commitment to credible elections and conflict prevention.
While the final results of the referendum are yet to be released, the orderly nature of the voting process has been welcomed by both national and international stakeholders. ECOWAS is expected to release a full report detailing its findings and recommendations in the coming days, as Guinea awaits the outcome of what could be a transformative chapter in its political evolution.
