The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) calls on the Guinean authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Dr Faya Millimono and his right to freedom of expression.
On 20 February 2025, Dr Faya Millimono, president of the opposition party Bloc Libéral (BL), told journalists who had come to a press conference he was due to hold that he had been forced to cancel it after receiving a death threat the same day. Although he did not reveal the identity of the perpetrators of the threat, the serious tone in which he spoke struck a chord with those present.
At the start of the transition, this opposition figure had thrown his support behind the military government. However, he became highly critical of the CNRD (Comité National du Rassemblement pour le Développement) after noting their resolve to remain in power. He expresses his criticisms (among other opinions) on the progress of the Guinean transition through regular press conferences.
According to our sources, his stance could be the reason for the threats he is receiving. Death threats can open doors to even more serious actions. Given the current repressive context in Guinea—marked by recent kidnappings and disappearances—and a report describing the state of freedom of expression as gloomy, the threats received by Dr. Faya further confirm the environment of insecurity in which critical voices operate.
The Media Foundation for West Africa strongly condemns the threats and intimidation against critical voices and calls on the authorities to guarantee their safety. This type of action, aimed at silencing the opinions of civil actors, violates international laws on freedom of expression, in particular Article 19, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states: ‘No one shall be molested for his opinions. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression […]’.
These threats can be seen as an attempt to intimidate and silence an opponent who is critical of the current regime. In a state that aspires to carry out a credible democratic transition, such acts must be strongly condemned and seriously investigated. We therefore call on the Guinean authorities to investigate the threats in order to find and bring the perpetrators to justice.
