A diplomatic mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has abruptly withdrawn from Guinea-Bissau following what it described as a threat of expulsion by the country’s president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo.
The ECOWAS team, deployed last month to help facilitate a political consensus ahead of the country’s rescheduled general elections, said it had prepared a draft roadmap and had begun consultations with stakeholders when it was forced to leave early Saturday morning.
In a statement, the mission confirmed that it would now submit its final report to the ECOWAS leadership, including proposals for ensuring inclusive and peaceful elections in Guinea-Bissau.
President Embalo has not officially responded to the allegations made by ECOWAS.
The situation in Guinea-Bissau remains tense, as debates continue over the legitimacy of Embalo’s presidency. While opposition parties insist that his five-year term expired last week, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled it ends on 4 September.
Elections originally scheduled for November 2023 were postponed by Embalo, who later announced they would now take place on 30 November 2025 — a decision that has been fiercely opposed by the opposition.
Amid rising unrest, the opposition called for a nationwide strike last Thursday — the date they claimed marked the end of Embalo’s term. In response, the government deployed heavy security across the capital.
Guinea-Bissau has endured numerous coups and two assassination attempts against Embalo, the latest in December 2023, which led him to dissolve the opposition-dominated parliament.
As tensions simmered at home, Embalo travelled to Moscow, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation, raising eyebrows about his international alignments amid domestic instability.
