ECOWAS officials face expulsion threat in Guinea-Bissau

A team of ECOWAS and United Nations officials have hastily left Guinea-Bissau after expulsion threats by President Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

The delegation from ECOWAS and the United Nations Office for West Africa and Sahel (UNOWAS) had traveled to Guinea-Bissau to mediate in the country’s electoral crisis, which arose after President Embaló postponed the elections.

Initially delayed indefinitely, the elections have now been rescheduled for November 30, 2025.

In a statement on Sunday, ECOWAS confirmed that its team had met with President Embaló, other political figures, and civil society groups to facilitate a consensus on the election timeline.

The mission, deployed at the directive of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, was in Guinea-Bissau from February 21 to 28 to assist political actors and national stakeholders in developing a roadmap for the 2025 legislative and presidential elections.

According to the statement issued by the ECOWAS team, it had “prepared a draft agreement on a roadmap for elections in 2025 and had begun presenting it to stakeholders for their approval.”

However, the mission was abruptly cut short as the team “departed Bissau in the early morning of March 1 following threats by President Umaro Sissoco Embaló to expel it.

Embalo challenges ECOWAS over electoral intervention

President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, a former chairman of ECOWAS, has strongly opposed external interference in Guinea-Bissau’s internal affairs.

Embaló, known for his strong ties to the Kremlin, was due to step down after Guinea-Bissau’s general elections in November 2024.

However, the elections were postponed by a year, with the Supreme Court approving his order to extend his tenure— a move strongly opposed by the opposition, which argues that his term should have ended last week.

For a country plagued by political instability and a history of coups, Embaló has failed to bring the expected stability. Instead, he has dissolved parliament twice and has been ruling by decree for over a year.

Following his refusal to hold elections, an ECOWAS and UN delegation visited Guinea-Bissau, urging all stakeholders and citizens “to remain calm and uphold peace and tranquility in the country.”

The ECOWAS team held discussions with Embaló, political leaders, and civil society groups in an attempt to reach a consensus on the election timeline.

However, the mission ended abruptly after President Embaló threatened to expel the delegation on the morning of March 1, forcing them to leave the country.