4th March, 2025
ECOWAS has pulled out their mission in Guinea Bissau after heated confrontations in the country, according to the team. The ECOWAS team were in Guinea Bissau to help draft a consensus for a proposed election in the country, following postponed elections which had created tensions amongst various factions in the country.
President Embalo of the Guinea Bissau Anatomy was elected as President in theDecember 2019 elections for a five year term. He assumed office in February 2020 and there were supposed to be elections by February 2025 but President Embalo postponed the elections from February 2025 to 30th November 2025. The postponement was questioned and opposed by the delay since President Embalo had passed his first term. The case was taken to court and his first term was extended to September 2025. The opposition party; African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, had a majority of 54 out of 102 seats of the June 2023 parliamentary elections. However, the parliament was dissolved following alleged plots by the opposition according to President Embalo in staging a coup, upon his return from the COP 28 Conference.
An ECOWAS team had been deployed in Guinea Bissau to help reach a consensus with President Embalo on when the elections should be held. The team in the first week of March has left Guinea Bissau stating having being threatened by President Embalo.
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