• Guinea has resumed road clearance operations across Greater Conakry since mid-January.

• Authorities cite traffic safety, urban sanitation, and long-term planning goals.

• Informal traders are bearing the brunt of short-term economic disruption.

Road clearance operations resumed last week across Greater Conakry, following an announcement on Jan. 19 by Guinea’s National Police Directorate (DGPN) and the ministries of transport and urban planning. The authorities say the measures are needed to ease congestion on public roads, improve traffic safety, and strengthen urban sanitation.

The stated objective is also structural. The government aims to lay the groundwork for more sustainable urban development in a capital facing strong demographic pressure. Conakry’s population stands at about 2.3 million, according to World Population, a trend that has fueled unregulated occupation of public space. The road safety argument is also set against a worrying continental backdrop. Between 2010 and 2021, Africa recorded a 17% increase in fatal road accidents, while the global rate fell by 5% over the same period.

A report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 16, 2024, shows that Africa accounts for nearly one-fifth of global road traffic deaths, despite representing about 15% of the world’s population and only 3% of the global vehicle fleet. In this context, reducing roadside obstacles, improving visibility, and reclaiming sidewalks are seen by the authorities as key tools for risk prevention.

The operations mainly target illegal commercial installations, markets spilling onto roadways, and various physical obstructions set up along major roads. However, the effects of the cleanup program vary widely across stakeholders.

Beyond reaffirming state authority over road infrastructure, the ongoing operations are expected to help the government reorganize urban planning and transport systems in Conakry over the medium and long term. This could pave the way for future infrastructure projects, including road widening and more structured traffic flows. The timing is notable, as the authorities are preparing to roll out a new batch of buses. A tramway project has also been under consideration for several months to strengthen public transport capacity.

For road users, potential safety gains include better visibility, fewer unexpected obstacles, and the return of sidewalks to pedestrians. The transition phase, however, is likely to involve route changes, a reorganization of parking areas, and the disappearance of some roadside services.

Informal traders appear to be the most affected in the short term. Street vendors, small workshops, food stalls, and markets that gradually expanded onto roadways draw much of their customer base from nearby traffic flows. Losing these strategic locations typically leads to sharp income losses and activity disruptions, especially as relocation options remain limited.

A common urban management tool in the sub-region

Conakry is not an isolated case. Across West African capitals, clearance operations are frequent, with their scale varying depending on local conditions and ongoing projects. In Cotonou, similar actions in 2017 and 2025 preceded road resizing works, including lane reorganization and the allocation of dedicated space for motorcycles.

In Abidjan, initiatives carried out in 2024 in several districts focused on clearing areas deemed unsanitary. In Ouagadougou, early 2025 operations aimed to free up railway rights of way. In Dakar, comparable measures accompanied urban restructuring linked to mobility projects such as the city’s BRT network.

These regional experiences show that clearance operations serve both as urban regulation tools and as indicators of tensions between infrastructure modernization and the weight of the informal economy. In Conakry, as elsewhere, the main challenges lie in reorganizing urban space on a lasting basis without excluding those who depend on it for their livelihoods, and in managing the post-clearance phase effectively.

Henoc Dossa