The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says its mediation team has left Guinea-Bissau after President Umaro Sissoco Embalo allegedly threatened to expel them amid rising political tensions over delayed elections.
The mission, deployed in February, aims to broker a political consensus on organizing general elections, initially scheduled for November 2024 but postponed by President Embalo to 30 November 2025.
In a statement on Sunday, ECOWAS confirmed that its delegation, working alongside the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), had left the country on 1 March following the president’s threats.
“The team had prepared a draft agreement on a roadmap for elections in 2025 and had started presenting it to stakeholders for their consent,” the statement read.
The opposition has fiercely opposed the election delay, arguing that President Embalo’s term expired last week. However, a recent Supreme Court ruling extended his mandate until September 2025.
Amid these tensions, the opposition called for a nationwide strike on Thursday, the day they claim the president’s term legally ended. In response, the government deployed security forces across the capital to maintain order.
The political standoff follows two coup attempts against Embalo—the latest in December 2023, after which he dissolved the opposition-led parliament.
ECOWAS has promised to present a full report on the situation to its leadership, including recommendations for an agreement to ensure inclusive and peaceful elections.
Meanwhile, President Embalo has yet to respond to ECOWAS’s allegations.
Amid the ongoing crisis, Embalo visited Moscow last week for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, further raising concerns about regional stability in Guinea-Bissau, a country with a history of military coups since gaining independence in 1974.
