After obtaining independence in 1958, Guinea suffered under corrupt authoritarian regimes for more than 50 years. In 2010, Professor Alpha Condé was chosen as the country’s first democratically elected president. Although the country is now in the midst of an intensive institutional reform process, it faces enormous challenges, and it is struggling to live up to the expectations created by the arrival of democracy.

The ABA Rule of Law Initiative operates three programs in Guinea, each of which aim to protect some of the country’s most marginalized populations and to bring Guineans closer to the justice institutions that serve them. We are working to address unfair pre-trial detention and lack of access to justice by creating a paralegal network that will provide legal assistance to detainees. Working in partnership with a local civil society organization, we also provide technical assistance to government institutions engaged in ongoing mining reforms to ensure that local communities’ rights are adequately protected by Guinean law. Finally, we are using participatory research techniques to involve local communities in discussions about how the country should pursue justice and reconciliation.