Guinean President Mamadi Doumbouya, aged 41, has dismissed more than 170 soldiers on allegations of desertion, among them a colonel who played a significant role in the coup that brought Doumbouya to power in September 2021. Col Michel Lamah was part of the Special Forces Group (GFS), an elite army unit previously commanded by Doumbouya. The move comes as part of an ongoing strategy aimed at strengthening the president's control and deterring potential challenges to his leadership. The decree announcing these dismissals was broadcast on state television. The specific circumstances leading to the alleged desertions remain undisclosed. Col Lamah garnered public attention during the 2021 coup, as he was photographed in a vehicle carrying deposed President Alpha Condé, who had been re-elected for a controversial third term in office amid violent protests the previous year. Since the coup, Guinea has witnessed a series of crackdowns on civil liberties, including media shutdowns, banned protests, suspended political parties, and detentions or exiles of activists and opposition figures. In December 2021, two major opposition parties - RPG Arc en Ciel and UFDG - were excluded from the election that saw Doumbouya win with a landslide. Over the past five years, Doumbouya has been focused on transforming Guinea, rich in mineral resources, from a raw materials supplier to a more industrial processing hub. For more news from the African continent, visit BBCAfrica.com. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, Facebook at BBC Africa, or Instagram at bbcafrica.