Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone and current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced the suspension of Guinea-Bissau from all of the regional body’s decision-making organs “until the restoration of full and effective constitutional order in the country.” This came as it strongly condemned the military coup d’état that occurred in the country on 26 November, describing it as a “flagrant violation” of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
In a final communiqué issued late Thursday after an extraordinary virtual session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, chaired by Julius Maada Bio, the president of Sierra Leone and current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, the regional bloc demanded the immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order, following the detention of the country’s president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, and senior government officials by elements of the armed forces.
The coup took place just three days after the second round of presidential elections on 23 November, during which the announcement of provisional results was abruptly suspended. According to reports from Bissau, heavily armed soldiers stormed the presidential palace, placed Embaló under house arrest, and took control of state media and key installations.
ECOWAS expressed “deep concern” over the deteriorating security situation and the risk a new military takeover poses to peace and stability in a country with a long history of political instability and military interventions.
The Authority of Heads of State took some immediate decisions. These included the suspension of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies with immediate effect; demand for the unconditional release of Embaló, and all detained civilian authorities; call for the immediate resumption of the constitutional and electoral process, including the publication of election results by the National Elections Commission;
Deployment of a high-level mediation mission, led by Bio, accompanied by the presidents of Togo, Cabo Verde, and Senegal, as well as the president of the ECOWAS Commission. It also Reaffirmed that the use of force to access or retain power remains unacceptable and will attract severe sanctions.
The communiqué also urged all defence and security forces to return to barracks and respect republican institutions, while calling on Guinea-Bissau’s political actors to prioritise dialogue.
Guinea-Bissau has experienced multiple coups and attempted coups since gaining independence in 1974, with no elected president completing a full term until President Embaló’s inauguration in 2020.
The swift ECOWAS response mirrors its zero-tolerance stance on unconstitutional changes of government adopted since the wave of military takeovers in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso between 2020 and 2022.
The high-level delegation is expected to arrive in Bissau within days to engage the military authorities and facilitate a rapid return to constitutional legality.
