Global Powers Find Coup D'état Only Problematic When Not Their Asset
Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, a French Foreign Legion veteran trained by the US, led a coup in 2021 against an increasingly authoritarian Alpha Condé. Now, despite promising to restore democracy, he’s maneuvering to be elected president. While the West quickly condemned this coup, their outrage often varies, depending on whose boots are on the ground and who supplied them. One might wonder if the
concern for Guinean 'democracy' would be quite so pronounced if, say, the Guinean leader was aligning with adversaries or disrupting mineral extraction critical to Western interests. The hypocrisy is palpable: condemnation for some coups, a wink and a nod for others, especially those involving Western-trained military figures preserving 'stability' (and access to resources).