ECOWAS Delegation Exits Guinea-Bissau Amid Expulsion Threat

ECOWAS officials have departed Guinea-Bissau following a government threat to expel the delegation over political tensions in the country.

A mission from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, has departed Guinea-Bissau after reporting that the president threatened to expel them.

Last month, the team was dispatched to the country to assist in achieving a “political consensus” on conducting elections this year.

It announced that it had “prepared a draft agreement outlining a roadmap for elections” and had begun presenting it to the stakeholders for their approval.

However, the team chose to depart early on Saturday morning following a threat from President Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

It states that it will soon submit its report to the president of ECOWAS, which includes a proposal for an agreement aimed at achieving “inclusive and peaceful elections.”

Embalo has yet to reply to the bloc’s accusation.

Tensions in the country have escalated regarding the conclusion of his five-year mandate.

The opposition claims that his presidential term ended last week, but the Supreme Court of Justice determined that it concludes on September 4.

A new round of general elections was originally scheduled for last November, but Embalo postponed them and has now announced that they will be held on 30 November this year.

The opposition has objected to the postponement.

Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has undergone numerous military coups. There have been two attempts to overthrow Embalo, with the most recent occurring in December 2023.

As a result, he decided to disband the parliament that was controlled by the opposition.

Last Thursday, the opposition urged a nationwide strike coinciding with what they claimed to be the president’s term expiration day, prompting the government to deploy security forces throughout the capital.

Embalo traveled to Moscow the previous day, where he engaged in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about reportedly enhancing cooperation between their two countries.