Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has threatened to expel a political mission sent by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the bloc revealed in a statement on Sunday. The development comes amid a dispute over the expiration of Embalo’s presidential term, which has heightened tensions in a country with a long history of political instability and military coups.
Embalo’s presidency, which began in 2020, is currently at the center of a heated debate. The political opposition claims that his term should have ended last week, while the Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that his mandate runs until September 4, 2024. This controversy threatens to further destabilize Guinea-Bissau, a nation already struggling with governance challenges and frequent political upheavals.
In an attempt to mediate the situation, ECOWAS, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), deployed a mission to Guinea-Bissau from February 21 to 28. The mission aimed to facilitate discussions on how to conduct presidential and legislative elections this year. However, ECOWAS stated that its representatives left the country on March 1 after facing threats of expulsion from Embalo.
The Guinea-Bissau leader has maintained that elections will not take place until November 30, a decision that has further fueled opposition dissatisfaction. Embalo, who chaired ECOWAS from mid-2022 to mid-2023, has faced growing criticism over his administration’s handling of democratic processes and governance.
Adding a geopolitical dimension to the crisis, Embalo recently visited Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While details of the discussions remain unclear, the visit signals Guinea-Bissau’s shifting diplomatic engagements at a time when ECOWAS is facing challenges in maintaining regional stability.
Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony that gained independence in 1974, has long struggled with political turbulence. With ECOWAS seeking a resolution to ensure a democratic transition, the coming months will be crucial in determining the nation’s political trajectory. Whether Embalo will cooperate with regional and international mediators or pursue a more confrontational path remains to be seen.
