Guinea: President Mamadi Doumbouya gives the reasons for the suspension of his country’s participation in the OMVS

 Guinean Authorities decided to suspend their participation in the OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River). An organization that brings together four West African countries through which the river flows. On his Facebook page, the President of the Guinean Transition, His Excellency Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, clarified the decision, which is of great importance for Guinea’s interests.

« My objective is to preserve the interests of Guinea», stated the Guinean leader, Colonel Doumbouya. The reasons that led to the suspension of the Republic of Guinea’s participation in the OMVS were explained by the Head of State during the regular Council of Ministers meeting, held under his presidency at the Mohammed V Palace on July 20. According to him, Guinea’s interests have been ignored within this sub-regional organization for several decades.

Following the lines of President Mamadi Doumbouya’s statement, these neglected interests for decades include: a significant delay in the financing of the Koukoutamba hydroelectric dam, located in the prefecture of Tougué (Labé region), with a capacity of 294 megawatts, at an estimated cost of approximately 812 million dollars; under-representation of our country within the strategic decision-making bodies of the OMVS.

We were expecting, notably, the approval of the appointment of a Guinean to the Deputy High Commissioner of the OMVS and had requested that more high-ranking officials from our compatriots access strategic positions, unfortunately; the absence of opening the capital of OMVS companies to the Republic of Guinea.

So far, our country has no participation in the capital of the various companies of this Organization.

Being a great man with a thoughtful mind, President Mamadi Doumbouya has declared the Koukoutamba hydroelectric dam project as a National Interest Project to mitigate any repercussions.

 He has also instructed the Prime Minister and the Minister of Energy, Hydraulic, and Hydrocarbons to deepen the reflection to RESIZE the project, concentrating it exclusively on Guinea’s scale, and to find the necessary financing solutions.

The President Mamadi Doumbouya’s statement emphasizes that he made all these decisions with the sole purpose of preserving the interests of the Republic of Guinea.

It is worth noting that this is the second time Guinea has withdrawn from the organization, the first being in 1971 due to political tensions. Guinea rejoined in 2006, while Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania, the original creators of the organization in the 1930s, had already renamed it OMVS in 1972. Guinea’s first membership dates back to 1963.

Diallo Damba