The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Guinea‑Bissau from all decision‑making bodies following the military coup of November 26, which saw President Umaro Sissoco Embalo arrested and a transitional government installed.
In a communique issued after an extraordinary virtual meeting of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) on November 27, ECOWAS condemned the coup “in the strongest terms” and demanded the unconditional restoration of constitutional order.
The Council rejected any arrangement that perpetuates “the illegal abortion of the democratic process and the subversion of the will of the people of Guinea‑Bissau.”
Chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, current chairperson of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, the MSC expressed deep concern over the unfolding crisis, noting that Bissau‑Guineans had demonstrated resilience by actively participating in the November 23 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Demands and Mediation Mission
The MSC called for the immediate release of all detained officials, including President Embalo, electoral officers, and political figures.
It held coup leaders individually and collectively responsible for the protection of lives, property, and detainees.
The Council also demanded that the National Electoral Commission (CNE) be allowed to declare the election results without delay.
It urged Guinea‑Bissau’s armed forces to return to the barracks and maintain their constitutional role.
To restore order, ECOWAS mandated a High‑Level Mediation Mission led by President Bio, joined by Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe, Cabo Verde’s President Jose Maria Pereira Neves, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Alieu Touray.
Regional and International Reactions
The MSC ordered the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea‑Bissau (ESSMGB) to continue protecting state institutions and warned that sanctions could be imposed on entities disrupting the democratic process.
The summit was attended by leaders and representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Cabo Verde, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, The Gambia, and Togo, alongside officials from the African Union, United Nations, and the West African Elders’ Forum.
On November 27, Gen. Horta Nta‑A, head of the Presidential Guard and reportedly a close ally of Embalo, was sworn in as transitional president for a one‑year term.
The coup adds to Guinea‑Bissau’s long history of instability, with more than half a dozen successful and failed coups since independence in 1973.
The governments of Nigeria and Ghana, the African Union, and the United Nations have all strongly condemned the takeover.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Secretary‑General António Guterres was following the situation “with deep concern” and urged restraint and respect for the rule of law.
Currently, there is a small-scale anti-coup protests that have erupted in the capital Bissau with opposition supporters accusing the military of stealing their electoral victory by cancelling the electoral process.
Nigeria’s Former Leader Temporarily Trapped
The coup happened while former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was in the country leading a 50-member observer team for the now botched presidential election.
He was temporarily stranded as gunfire erupted near his hotel, but the junta prioritized his exit, airlifting him to Nigeria via Ivory Coast support, as confirmed by Nigerian officials and regional bodies
The ex-president can be seen here been escorted to the airport on his flight to Abuja from Guinea-Bissau on November 27, 2025.
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