The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies following the military takeover that unfolded in the country this week.
The decision came after an emergency virtual meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, MSC, held late Thursday. The session was chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who also heads the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.
In its official communiqué, the MSC explained that the suspension aligns with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (2001). Guinea-Bissau will remain suspended until full and effective constitutional order is restored.
The coup erupted on Wednesday, just days after the nation’s tense presidential and legislative elections. Mutinous soldiers halted the electoral process, closed the country’s borders and blocked the release of official results.
ECOWAS condemned the takeover in strong terms, calling the detention of several individuals — including incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was widely projected to win the election — unacceptable.
“The MSC condemns in the strongest terms the coup d’état perpetrated on 26 November 2025 and calls for the immediate restoration of constitutional order,” the statement read.
The regional bloc also rejected any attempt to legitimize the disruption of the democratic process or undermine the will of the people of Guinea-Bissau. It demanded the immediate release of all detained political figures, including President Embaló, electoral officials and other arrested individuals.
ECOWAS further insisted that the electoral commission be allowed to announce the results of Sunday’s vote without interference.
Despite mounting regional pressure, the coup leaders have appointed the army’s chief of staff, General Horta N’Tam, as transitional head of state for a one-year period.
