West African mission leaves Guinea-Bissau after ‘president’s threats’
The West African regional bloc, Ecowas, says a mission deployed to Guinea-Bissau to help resolve an election dispute has left the country after the president threatened to expel it.
The team was sent in last month to help reach a “political consensus” on how to hold elections this year.
Guinea-Bissau’s general elections had been scheduled for last November but President Umaro Sissoco Embalo postponed them. He has since announced 30 November this year as the new date.
The opposition has opposed the delay and said Embalo’s term should have expired last week, although a Supreme Court ruling recently extended his term in office to September.
In a statement on Sunday, Ecowas said its team had met Embalo, other politicians and civil society groups to try to reach a consensus on when the elections should be held.
Ecowas said its team, together with the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (Unowas), had been deployed to the country from 21-28 February.
It said it had “prepared a draft agreement on a roadmap for elections in 2025 and had started presenting it to the stakeholders for their consent”.
The team however “departed Bissau in the early morning of 1st March, following threats by [President] Umaro Sissoco Embalo to expel it”, it said.
The president has not responded to the bloc’s accusation.
The bloc says it will now present its report to the Ecowas president, including a proposal for an agreement leading to “inclusive and peaceful elections”.
Embalo was elected for a five-year term in December 2019, and the standoff over when it should end has heightened tensions in a country that has experienced several military coups since independence in 1974.
There have been two attempts to overthrow Embalo, the latest in December 2023.
This led him to dissolve the opposition-dominated parliament.
The opposition on Thursday called for a nationwide strike, on the day they said the president’s term was expiring, with the government deploying security forces across the capital.
A day earlier, Embalo visited Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
I was more than happy to search out this net-site.I needed to thanks for your time for this excellent learn!! I positively enjoying every little little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you weblog post.
I think you have noted some very interesting details, regards for the post.
Please let me know if you’re looking for a writer for your blog. You have some really good articles and I think I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some articles for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Thank you!
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! By the way, how can we communicate?
Very good info can be found on site.
I like what you guys are up also. Such intelligent work and reporting! Carry on the superb works guys I?¦ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my site
F*ckin’ remarkable things here. I am very glad to see your article. Thanks a lot and i am looking forward to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
I am always browsing online for posts that can help me. Thx!
I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thank you, I?¦ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your website?
Nice post. I be taught one thing more challenging on different blogs everyday. It can at all times be stimulating to learn content material from different writers and follow a bit of something from their store. I’d favor to make use of some with the content on my weblog whether or not you don’t mind. Natually I’ll provide you with a hyperlink in your net blog. Thanks for sharing.
You are my intake, I possess few web logs and sometimes run out from to post : (.
Thanks for some other wonderful post. Where else could anyone get that kind of info in such a perfect approach of writing? I’ve a presentation subsequent week, and I’m at the search for such information.
I?¦ll right away seize your rss as I can not find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Please permit me understand in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
Real informative and wonderful body structure of subject material, now that’s user pleasant (:.
fantastic post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t notice this. You must continue your writing. I’m sure, you have a great readers’ base already!
I do agree with all of the ideas you have presented in your post. They are very convincing and will certainly work. Still, the posts are too short for newbies. Could you please extend them a little from next time? Thanks for the post.