BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau — A high-level delegation from the West African bloc ECOWAS ended a mediation mission to Guinea-Bissau on Monday without achieving a breakthrough, but pledged to continue talks with coup leaders later this month.
The delegation, led by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, traveled to Bissau seeking a return to civilian rule following last Wednesday’s military coup.
Junta’s Position
The junta, which has banned protests and strikes, claimed it acted to restore security and stability. Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba said discussions were “fruitful,” but reiterated ECOWAS’s condemnation of the coup and its demand for the immediate restoration of constitutional order.
Embaló Deposed
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló fled to Brazzaville after being detained. In his absence, the military installed former army chief Gen. Horta Inta-a as head of a transitional government, which has already appointed a new cabinet largely composed of Embaló’s allies.
Next Steps
Foreign Minister João Bernardo Vieira, appointed by the junta, said ECOWAS would remain engaged. He noted that a one-year transition deadline had been set, with the issue to be reviewed at the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government on December 14.
International Condemnation
ECOWAS suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies the day after the coup. The United Nations also condemned the takeover, with Secretary-General António Guterres urging the release of detained political actors and respect for the November 23 vote.
Guinea-Bissau has endured repeated coups since independence from Portugal in 1974, underscoring its fragile democratic trajectory.