A former ally in Guinea's 2021 coup is among 173 soldiers expelled from the army by President Mamadi Doumbouya, in the latest move involving the country's military under the former junta leader.
Colonel Michel Lamah, who was part of the Special Forces Group (GFS), was named among those dismissed for "desertion". The GFS is the elite military unit that Doumbouya commanded before leading the overthrow of President Alpha Condé.
The decision was made public through a decree read on state television on Monday by presidential spokesman Gen Amara Camara. The announcement did not explain when or how the alleged desertions happened.
The soldiers affected were drawn from different sections of the armed forces. No further information was provided on the reasons behind the removal of Lamah or the other 172 personnel.
Lamah came into the spotlight during the September 2021 military takeover after being photographed in a vehicle transporting Condé, who had been removed from office by the troops.
The coup followed growing unrest in Guinea after Condé secured a third term in an election that had sparked violent protests. Doumbouya's forces stormed the presidential palace, arrested the president and took control of the country.
At the time, Doumbouya pledged that he would not run for president and said his administration would eventually restore civilian government. He later abandoned that position, entered December's presidential election and won with 87% of the vote.
The latest military dismissals are viewed as part of attempts by Doumbouya to tighten his hold over the armed forces and reduce the possibility of resistance to his leadership.
His rule since the coup has also been marked by restrictions on political and civil freedoms. Several media organisations have been closed, public protests have been banned and some political parties have been suspended.
Opposition politicians and activists have also been arrested or driven into exile during the period.
RPG Arc en Ciel and UFDG, two of Guinea's largest opposition parties, were excluded from last year's presidential election. Their absence from the contest came as Doumbouya, who had previously led the military government, secured a decisive victory.
The president has also pursued an economic agenda aimed at changing how Guinea benefits from its large mineral wealth. His government has spent the past five years seeking to move the country away from exporting mainly unprocessed resources and towards building an industrial processing sector.
The dismissal of the 173 soldiers marks another major development in Doumbouya's handling of the country's armed forces as he continues his transition from coup leader to elected president.