Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Abuja, Nigeria – 28 November 2025: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies following a military coup that ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on 26 November.
In an emergency virtual summit, ECOWAS Heads of State condemned the takeover in the strongest terms, calling for the unconditional restoration of constitutional rule. The regional bloc praised Guinea-Bissau citizens for their resilience and commitment to democracy during the recent elections, while expressing alarm at the military’s disruption of the electoral process.
ECOWAS demanded that coup leaders allow the National Electoral Commission to declare the results of the 23 November election without further delay. The bloc also called for the immediate and unconditional release of President Embaló, detained electoral officials, and other political figures.
Warning that the coup organizers would be held individually and collectively responsible for any harm, ECOWAS stressed the need to provide safe passage for international and regional election observers.
The extraordinary session, chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, was attended by leaders from Cabo Verde, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, the Vice-President of Côte d’Ivoire, and senior ministers from Benin, Gambia, and Togo. Representatives of the ECOWAS and African Union Commissions, the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Guinea-Bissau’s Foreign Minister, and ECOWAS’s special envoy were also present.
ECOWAS stated: “The takeover is condemned in the strongest terms, and constitutional rule must be restored unconditionally. The bloc rejects any arrangements that perpetuate the illegal abortion of the democratic process and the subversion of the will of the people.”
The suspension of Guinea-Bissau highlights the West African regional body’s commitment to defending democracy and ensuring political stability in member states amid rising threats of military takeovers.
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