A year has passed since the enforced disappearances of Guinean civil society activists Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah, and international pressure is mounting on Guinea's authorities to disclose their whereabouts and bring those responsible to justice. A coalition of 25 human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, has called for an end to the silence from Guinean officials regarding the fate of these activists.

Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah, active members of the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), were arrested on July 9, 2024, in Conakry by special forces. Reports indicate they were subjected to interrogation and torture. Despite the announcement of an investigation by the Prosecutor General shortly after their abduction, there has been no further information on its progress.

The FNDC, which was dissolved in 2022, had been pivotal in organizing protests against former President Alpha Condé’s attempt to amend the constitution for a third term. This group's dissolution was one of many incidents reflecting a troubling pattern of targeting dissenting voices in Guinea.

The backdrop of these disappearances includes other similar incidents, like the abduction of journalist Habib Marouane Camara in December 2024, and the torture of Abdoul Sacko, a national coordinator of the Forum of Social Forces of Guinea, in February 2025. Both cases sparked investigations that have yet to yield results, contributing to a growing "climate of terror," as condemned by the Guinean Bar Association.

Further emphasizing the severity of this pattern, in June 2025, lawyer Mohamed Traoré was abducted and later found severely injured. Reports of threats against lawyers and political figures have escalated, with some being informed of their inclusion on lists for planned abductions.

Amnesty International has criticized the frequent use of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions in West Africa, noting these tactics are often employed by military authorities to suppress political dissent. As the international community watches, the coalition of rights groups continues to advocate for justice for Sylla, Bah, and others affected by these harsh tactics, urging immediate action from Guinean authorities.