ECOWAS condemns Guinea-Bissau coup, orders immediate restoration of constitutional rule
By Kunle Sanni –
Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have condemned the coup d’état carried out in Guinea-Bissau on 26 November 2025, calling for the immediate restoration of constitutional order and the release of all detained officials, including President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
The position was declared during an extraordinary virtual session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) held on 27 November 2025 under the chairmanship of President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone.
The meeting brought together Heads of State and senior representatives from Cabo Verde, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, The Gambia, and Togo.
Also present were the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, and senior officials from Guinea-Bissau.
In its communiqué, ECOWAS expressed deep concern about the unfolding political crisis, noting that it comes at a time when citizens of Guinea-Bissau had shown strong commitment to democracy by participating in the presidential and parliamentary elections held on 23 November.
ECOWAS called on the Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau to return to the barracks and uphold their constitutional duties. It also directed the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau to continue protecting national institutions during the crisis.
ECOWAS demanded that the coup leaders allow the National Electoral Commission to proceed immediately with announcing the results of the elections. It also called for the unconditional release of all detainees, including President Embaló, electoral officials, and political figures.
Tensions escalated on Wednesday, a day before the official announcement of Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election results, when soldiers opened fire near the presidential palace and the National Electoral Commission headquarters in Bissau. Shortly afterwards, a military leader appeared on state television declaring that the junta had seized power, alleging an attempt to “manipulate electoral results.”
