President Assimi Goïta attends the inauguration of President Mamadi Doumbouya.
Mali’s President of the Transition, His Excellency General of the Army Assimi Goïta, Head of State, took part on Saturday, January 17, 2026, in the inauguration ceremony of his Guinean counterpart, His Excellency Mamadi Doumbouya, at the Lansana Conté Stadium in Conakry.
This ceremony, which marks the assumption of office of the first President of the Fifth Republic of Guinea, brought together many high-level African figures. Several Heads of State honored the event with their presence, notably those of Mali, Gabon, Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda. Other African countries, such as Burkina Faso, were represented by official delegations.
Upon his arrival at the stadium, just after the military honors, the President of the Republic of Guinea exchanged a handshake with his Malian counterpart before taking his seat in the presidential box for the start of the proceedings.
At the end of the ceremony, President Assimi Goïta granted an exclusive interview to the press, in which he paid a strong tribute to his Guinean counterpart and recalled the depth of the historical ties between Guinea and Mali.
“First of all, I would like to thank, salute, and above all congratulate President Mamadi Doumbouya on his election as head of the Republic of Guinea. Guinea and Mali are united not only by history, but also by culture and geography,” explained the President of the Transition.
His Excellency General of the Army Assimi Goïta also recalled Guinea’s exemplary solidarity with Mali during the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS in 2022. “Guinea was one of the few countries to publicly denounce these illegal, illegitimate, and inhumane sanctions, and to openly support the Malian people during those difficult times. It is my duty to be here to express our gratitude and reaffirm the unbreakable ties between our two nations,” he stated.
The President of the Transition also paid tribute to the Malian community living in Guinea, whom he met upon his arrival in Conakry. He expressed his appreciation for their resilience and loyalty to Mali despite the challenges facing the country. “I would like to salute our compatriots living in Guinea. They told me about the excellent fraternal relations they maintain with their Guinean brothers.
I congratulate them for their exemplary conduct and their commitment to supporting the authorities of the Transition,” he said, before urging them to continue efforts toward cooperation and cohesion, while embracing the vision Mali Kura Ɲɛtaasira Ka Bɛn San 2063, which charts the path toward the country’s sustainable development. “This vision, driven by eleven structuring projects, will guide our actions over the next forty years. It aims to strengthen our sovereignty, stimulate our economy, and ensure the well-being of our populations,” President GOÏTA recalled.
The Head of State then left Guinea in the early evening for Bamako, thus marking the end of a day of friendship and working visit to the Republic of Guinea.