ECOWAS Withdraws from Guinea-Bissau After Election Dispute Escalates

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has withdrawn its mediation mission from Guinea-Bissau after President Umaro Sissoco Embalo allegedly threatened to expel the team. The delegation had been in the country since February 21, working to resolve a political deadlock over delayed general elections.

ECOWAS Mission Cut Short

The elections, originally scheduled for November 2023, were postponed by President Embalo, who later set a new date for November 30, 2024. However, the opposition strongly opposes the delay, arguing that Embalo’s five-year term should have ended last week. A Supreme Court ruling, however, extended his term until September 2024.

ECOWAS, alongside the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), had drafted a roadmap for elections in 2025, seeking political consensus. But after facing resistance from the government, the team left Bissau on March 1.

“The team departed Bissau in the early morning of 1st March, following threats by [President] Umaro Sissoco Embalo to expel it,” ECOWAS said in a statement.

Rising Political Tensions

The dispute has fueled tensions in Guinea-Bissau, a country with a history of military coups since its independence in 1974. President Embalo, who was elected in December 2019, has faced two coup attempts, the most recent in December 2023, after which he dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament.

On Thursday, opposition leaders called for a nationwide strike, insisting that Embalo’s term had expired. In response, security forces were deployed across the capital to prevent unrest.

Embalo’s Visit to Moscow

Amid the turmoil, President Embalo traveled to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin on February 28, further raising speculation about Guinea-Bissau’s political direction and international alliances.

ECOWAS has not disclosed its next steps but said it will present a report to its president, including proposals for ensuring peaceful and inclusive elections.