Guinea-Bissau: Ecowas delegation leaves the country after threats from President Embalo
A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) arrived in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, on 23 February for five days. 'We need to discuss the immediate situation with all parties, but above all we need to address the root causes of the crisis,' explained Abdel-Fatau Musah, Ecowas Commissioner for Political Affairs, to Le Monde.
The political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, however, remains deadlocked. The delegation had to leave the country after threats from the President, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, according to a statement from Ecowas. For his part, the president announced to Jeune Afrique on Monday 3 March that he would run for a second term, and that he plans to hold presidential elections in November 2025.
The opposition argues that President Embalo's mandate, which began in 2020, should have ended last week, on 27 February. But the country's Supreme Court ruled that his term would end on 4 September. On 23 February, Mr Embalo announced that the next presidential and legislative elections would be held on 30 November.
Umaro Sissoco Embalo claims to have resisted two attempts to overthrow him. After the last one, in December 2023, he dissolved the opposition-controlled Parliament, accusing it of passivity.
President Embalo was received by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 25 February to discuss potential economic and security ties. Russia has become the security partner of choice for a growing number of African governments, supplanting traditional allies such as France and the USA.
The Le Monde article can be found here.