Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has announced he will seek a second term in the November elections, amidst growing tensions with the opposition that refuses to acknowledge him as the legitimate president.
In a move that may exacerbate the political unrest in the country, a West African regional bloc ECOWAS delegation that went to Guinea-Bissau to mediate the political crisis left on Monday due to threats of expulsion by Embalo. Embalo, who disbanded the opposition-dominated parliament in late 2023, confirmed his candidacy on Monday at the Bissau airport after returning from a trip to Russia, Azerbaijan, and Hungary.
The constitutional term for a Guinean president is five years, with a possibility of one renewal. However, Embalo’s first term is already under dispute, with the opposition arguing it has already ended. According to them, his term should have concluded on February 27 of this year, a claim supported by the fact that the Supreme Court did not acknowledge his victory until September 4.
Embalo was originally elected on November 24, 2019, and took office on February 27, 2020, but the results of the election were contested by the opposition. The Supreme Court eventually validated his win on September 4. Embalo has fixed the election date for November 30 and intends to stay in office until then. However, the opposition has refused to recognize him as president since last week, threatening mass protests and strikes if the ECOWAS mission failed.
Embalo has survived two attempted coups in the past three years. After the recent attempt in December 2023, involving a confrontation between the national and presidential guard, he dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament, accusing it of inaction. He recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to explore potential economic and security cooperation, aligning Guinea-Bissau with Russia as its preferred security partner, rather than traditional allies like France and the United States.
In a move that may exacerbate the political unrest in the country, a West African regional bloc ECOWAS delegation that went to Guinea-Bissau to mediate the political crisis left on Monday due to threats of expulsion by Embalo. Embalo, who disbanded the opposition-dominated parliament in late 2023, confirmed his candidacy on Monday at the Bissau airport after returning from a trip to Russia, Azerbaijan, and Hungary.
The constitutional term for a Guinean president is five years, with a possibility of one renewal. However, Embalo’s first term is already under dispute, with the opposition arguing it has already ended. According to them, his term should have concluded on February 27 of this year, a claim supported by the fact that the Supreme Court did not acknowledge his victory until September 4.
Embalo was originally elected on November 24, 2019, and took office on February 27, 2020, but the results of the election were contested by the opposition. The Supreme Court eventually validated his win on September 4. Embalo has fixed the election date for November 30 and intends to stay in office until then. However, the opposition has refused to recognize him as president since last week, threatening mass protests and strikes if the ECOWAS mission failed.
Embalo has survived two attempted coups in the past three years. After the recent attempt in December 2023, involving a confrontation between the national and presidential guard, he dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament, accusing it of inaction. He recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to explore potential economic and security cooperation, aligning Guinea-Bissau with Russia as its preferred security partner, rather than traditional allies like France and the United States.
Source: http://www.africanews.com/2025/03/05/guinea-bissaus-president-embalo-to-seek-second/
