Guinea-Bissau President Embalo Threatens To Expel ECOWAS Delegation Deployed To Intervene In Election Dispute

Embalo’s presidential term, which began in 2020, has become a point of contention, with opposition groups insisting it should have ended last week.

A political crisis in Guinea-Bissau has escalated as President Umaro Sissoco Embalo threatened to expel a delegation sent by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

The regional bloc confirmed this in a statement on Sunday, revealing that the mission had to leave the country abruptly, Reuters reports.

Embalo’s presidential term, which began in 2020, has become a point of contention, with opposition groups insisting it should have ended last week. 

However, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled that his tenure extends until September 4. The dispute has heightened tensions in the country, which has a history of military coups.

Embalo, who led ECOWAS between mid-2022 and mid-2023, announced on February 23 that presidential and legislative elections would not take place until November 30. 

In response, ECOWAS deployed a mission from February 21 to 28, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), to facilitate dialogue on the electoral process.

However, ECOWAS stated, “The Mission departed Bissau in the early morning of 1st March, following threats by H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo to expel it.”

Meanwhile, amid the political turmoil, Embalo travelled to Moscow on Wednesday for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony, gained independence in 1974.

Similarly, Guinea-Bissau faced a major crisis in 2012 when a military coup disrupted the presidential election between Carlos Gomes Júnior and Kumba Yalá. 

The coup, staged by the country’s military, was triggered by concerns over a proposed military reform that could have reduced their influence. 

ECOWAS responded by deploying a peacekeeping force and imposing sanctions on the coup leaders, eventually facilitating a transitional government. 

The political instability delayed elections and deepened economic challenges, mirroring the tensions seen in the current crisis.