West African mission sent to Guinea-Bissau to resolve dispute leaves after threats

DAKAR, Senegal — A mission by a West African regional bloc sent to Guinea-Bissau to resolve a dispute over elections there has left the country, following threats by President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, according to a statement.

The dispute over the end date of Embalo’s term has escalated tensions and raised fears of unrest in the small West African nation of Guinea-Bissau, which has endured multiple coups since gaining independence from Portugal over 50 years ago.

The opposition argues that Embalo’s term, which began in 2020, should have ended last week while the country’s supreme court ruled that it ends on Sept. 4. Last month, Embalo announced that the next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on Nov. 30.

The bloc, known as ECOWAS, said its mission left early on Saturday. It was deployed from Feb. 21 to Feb. 28 together with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel to help broker a consensus on when to hold the presidential election.

ECOWAS is West Africa’s top political and economic authority, often collaborating with states to solve various domestic challenges. In recent years, however, it has struggled to reverse coups in the region and disputes with citizens complaining of not benefitting from their country’s natural resources.

Embalo says he has survived two attempts to overthrow him. After the most recent one in Dec. 2023, which involved a shootout between the national and presidential guard, he dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament, accusing it of passivity.

Last week, Embalo met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss potential economic and security ties as Russia has emerged as the security partner of choice for a growing number of African governments, displacing traditional allies such as France and the United States.