Marie Madeleine Dioubaté is a controversial Guinean businesswoman and politician, born in 1967 in Kankan. After graduating in commerce and management in France, she embarked on agriculture and the mining sector in Guinea before creating the surprise in 2015 by becoming the only woman candidate in the presidential election, under the banner of the Party of Ecologists of Guinea (PEG).
Although she finished last with 0.33% of the votes, her atypical candidacy and ambitious programme aimed, inter alia, at combating corruption and insalubrity aroused interest. However, her image was recently weakened by a controversy around the alleged theft of a 45-million-euro diamond in Paris, which earned her a trial sentence of 3 years in prison in 2021 as well as an international arrest warrant.
Introduction
Marie Madeleine Dioubaté is a Guinean public figure born in 1967 in Kankan. She pursued higher education in business and management in France before venturing into business in Guinea, mainly in the agricultural and mining sectors. In 2015, she ran for president under the banner of the Guinean Ecologists Party (PEG), becoming the only female candidate. Although she finished last with only 0.33% of the votes, her controversial candidacy and the ensuing controversies made a lasting impression.
Education
Born to a father who was a founding member of the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) party of Professor Alpha Condé, Marie Madeleine Dioubaté grew up between Guinea and Ivory Coast, where her family lived in exile for a long time. It was in France that she pursued higher education, obtaining degrees in business and management.
Professional Career
Upon returning to Guinea in 2008 after a business career in France, Marie Madeleine Dioubaté ventured into agriculture, undertaking rice farming projects in Kankan, Kindia, and Boffa as part of the country's policy of food self-sufficiency.
Parallel to agriculture, she worked as a consultant in the mining sector, attracting foreign investors. However, her projects were halted for unexplained reasons.
Her entrepreneurial journey allowed her to understand the challenges faced by investors in Guinea, an experience that motivated her to enter politics.
Political Career
In 2015, Marie Madeleine Dioubaté caused a surprise by running for president under the banner of her party, the PEG (Guinean Ecologists Party). Becoming the second woman in history to run for the highest office after Saran Daraba Camara in 2010, her unexpected candidacy generated enthusiasm among the youth and women.
During her campaign, she proposed several ambitious reforms, including:
- Restoring the rule of law and an independent judiciary
- Combating unsanitary conditions and waste management
- Increasing budgets for education and health
- Facilitating access to electricity through renewable energy
- Structurally combating corruption
Despite a grassroots campaign, Marie Madeleine Dioubaté garnered only 0.33% of the votes, finishing last among the 8 candidates. A disappointing score, but one that did not prevent her from remaining active on the public scene.
After the failure of her candidacy, Marie Madeleine Dioubaté remained involved in the Guinean public sphere, continuing to comment on the country's political and economic affairs.
Controversy
In May 2019, she filed a complaint in Paris for the theft of a diamond she valued at 45 million euros from a Parisian hotel. This far-fetched affair quickly took a legal turn in Guinea.
In October 2021, after multiple twists and turns, the Dixinn court sentenced her in absentia to 3 years in prison and ordered her to pay 45 million euros as well as one billion Guinean francs in damages and interest.
Following her conviction, an international arrest warrant was issued against Marie Madeleine Dioubaté and her sister Nana Martine, who was also prosecuted in this case. The two women, residing respectively in France and Mali, had never appeared before the Guinean justice system.
Private Life
Few details have emerged about the private and family life of this businesswoman turned politician. It is known that she is the daughter of a historical opponent of the Sékou Touré regime and that she grew up partly abroad.
Conclusion
Marie Madeleine Dioubaté's journey illustrates the challenges faced by women who dare to venture into politics in Guinea. Although her presidential candidacy was an electoral failure, she succeeded in making a lasting impression and sparking debate on crucial issues such as good governance, education, and the environment. However, the controversy surrounding the alleged theft of a diamond has tarnished her public image and now fuels the controversies surrounding this extraordinary figure in Guinean public life.
