BY Nadia Ntiamoah
A coalition of 20 distinguished African statesmen, diplomats, academics, and civil society leaders has issued a forceful appeal for the immediate release of Guinea-Bissau’s disputed presidential and legislative election results, urging ECOWAS and the international community to intervene decisively to restore constitutional order.
Their call comes amidst escalating political tensions following the controversial 23 November polls, which were abruptly halted after the country’s military hierarchy disrupted the work of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), seized electoral materials, and detained several political actors.
A Fragile Democracy In Perpetual Turmoil
Guinea-Bissau has long been one of West Africa’s most politically unstable nations, grappling with repeated coups, military interference in governance, and deep-rooted institutional weaknesses.
The 2023 dissolution of Parliament by President Umaro Sissoco Embaló had already intensified concerns over rising authoritarianism and a shrinking democratic space.
The November 2025 elections were widely seen as a crucial opportunity for the country to reset its democratic trajectory.
However, just as results were being compiled across all eight regions, reports emerged that soldiers had stormed the headquarters of the CNE, seized computers, destroyed tally documents, and arrested officials perceived to be linked to the opposition.
Eminent African Leaders Raise Alarm
In a joint statement titled “Restoring Constitutional Order and the Rule of Law in Guinea-Bissau,” the 20 eminent personalities warned that democratic governance in the country is at a dangerous crossroads.
They noted that the election management body had publicly declared its inability to finalize the release of results due to intimidation by security forces.
According to them, the military’s actions were designed to derail the electoral process and prevent the legitimate winner from emerging.
“ECOWAS must demand the truth, protect the winner, and call for the release of political actors detained by the military junta,” the group stated.
The signatories further urged ECOWAS leaders, who meet on 14 December, to take “a bold step” to resolve what they described as one of the gravest crises facing the regional bloc.
The group applauded ECOWAS for swiftly convening a virtual summit following the 26 November putsch and for condemning what they described as a “staged coup” orchestrated by security chiefs loyal to President Embaló, who sought re-election.
They also commended Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, the current ECOWAS Chair, for dispatching a fact-finding mission to Bissau. But they stressed that more robust, coordinated action is urgently needed to salvage Guinea-Bissau’s democratic aspirations.
Military Interference Condemned
The eminent Africans expressed shock over what they described as the “brutal intrusion” of the army into the electoral process, noting that the seizure of tally sheets and electronic devices was an attempt to erase evidence of the will of the Guinean people.
They also condemned what they termed the “comic arrest” of outgoing President Embaló, who they said appeared overly eager to announce his own deposition—an act they suspect was part of a carefully choreographed plot to create confusion and justify the military takeover.
International Community Urged To Step In
The group called on the African Union, United Nations, and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) to join efforts to ensure a peaceful and democratic resolution.
They argued that accepting such “undemocratic manoeuvres” would send a dangerous message across West Africa, a region already gripped by coups, economic hardship, and insecurity.
“The argument that the electoral process cannot be completed because of military interference is unacceptable,” they insisted, disclosing that preserved copies of election tallies still exist and could be released with firm international pressure.
Embaló’s Uncertain Exile
Following the chaotic events, Embaló was evacuated to Dakar by Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
However, protests from Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko—who dismissed the coup narrative as a “sham”—prompted Embaló to move to Congo-Brazzaville.
Latest reports indicate he has flown to Morocco and is likely heading to Portugal, amid claims he is planning to return to reclaim power through loyal military officers.
A Unified Call for Democracy
The statement was signed by a diverse group of influential African figures, including former Cabo Verde President Pedro Pires, renowned Nigerian human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), ECOWAS’ former Executive Secretary Dr. Abass Bundu, Professor Kwame Karikari of the Media Foundation for West Africa, and prominent academics such as Mahmood Mamdani, Jibrin Ibrahim, and Takyiwaa Manuh.
They closed their statement by urging Africans and the international community to “express by all legal means their refusal of the undemocratic manoeuvres underway in Guinea-Bissau,” insisting that the country deserves genuine support to conclude its electoral process and build functioning democratic institutions.
