Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya has dismissed 173 soldiers from the army for desertion, including Commander Michel Lamah, a well-known figure from the 2021 coup.
The decision was announced on Monday, August 24, 2026, in a decree read on national television by General Amara Camara, the minister and secretary-general of the presidency.
The soldiers came from different parts of the military, including the special forces (GFS), the airborne troops battalion (BATA), the gendarmerie, and various infantry units.
Michel Lamah was a member of the elite Groupement des Forces Spéciales. He became widely known after the September 5, 2021 coup that removed President Alpha Condé and brought Doumbouya to power. Footage from the time showed him driving the vehicle carrying the ousted president. He was also among those who claimed a key role in Condé’s arrest.
After the coup, Lamah appeared publicly with Doumbouya for a time before fading from view. Rumors circulated that he had been arrested or worse. He briefly reappeared around New Year’s 2024 alongside the president and another former coup figure, but then dropped out of sight again.
This latest round of dismissals is part of ongoing changes in Guinea’s military under Doumbouya.
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