Guinea-Bissau‘s President, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, reportedly threatened to expel a political mission sent by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional bloc confirmed in a statement on Sunday.
The ECOWAS mission, deployed from February 21 to 28 alongside representatives from the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), aimed to facilitate dialogue on conducting elections this year. However, tensions escalated, leading to the mission’s early departure from Bissau on March 1 after Embalo’s alleged threats.
The political standoff in Guinea-Bissau stems from disagreements over the duration of Embalo’s presidential term, which began in 2020. While opposition parties argue that his mandate should have ended last week, the country’s Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that it runs until September 4. Amid the dispute, Embalo announced on February 23 that presidential and legislative elections would be held on November 30.
The situation adds to concerns over political stability in the country, which has a history of military coups. Meanwhile, Embalo, who previously chaired ECOWAS from mid-2022 to mid-2023, visited Moscow on Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony, gained independence in 1974.
