Guinea-Bissau has announced that its presidential and legislative elections will be held on November 23, 2025, according to a presidential decree issued on Friday.
The new date is a week earlier than the previously announced November 30, sparking criticism from opposition groups who argue that President Umaro Sissoco Embalo’s mandate expired last month.
The decision comes amid heightened political tensions in the West African nation.
President Embalo, who recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on February 26, 2025, has faced growing scrutiny over his leadership and the timing of the elections.
The opposition has accused him of overstepping his constitutional authority by extending his stay in office.
The upcoming vote is seen as a critical test for Guinea-Bissau’s democracy, which has a history of political instability and military coups. The international community will be closely monitoring the electoral process to ensure transparency and fairness.
The announcement follows a series of high-profile events in the region, including a deadly attack on a UN helicopter evacuation in South Sudan and a surge of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo into Burundi.
