Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has threatened to expel a political mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), escalating tensions over the timing of the country’s next election.
The dispute centers on when Embalo’s presidential term, which began in 2020, should end. Opposition groups claim his term expired last week, while the Supreme Court of Justice rules it ends on September 4.
Embalo announced on February 23 that presidential and legislative elections would be held on November 30, sparking fears of unrest in the politically fragile nation.
ECOWAS deployed a mission from February 21 to 28, alongside the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), to facilitate dialogue on conducting elections this year.
However, the mission departed prematurely on March 1 due to Embalo’s expulsion threats.
The situation is further complicated by Embalo’s recent visit to Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony, gained independence in 1974.
The country has a history of military coups, and the current tensions risk destabilizing the region.
