The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a measured but positive response to political developments in Guinea Bissau, welcoming measures aimed at fostering an inclusive political environment. The endorsement follows formal communication from Transitional President Major General Horta Inta A to ECOWAS Chair President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, dated January 29.
Bissau Guinean authorities outlined concrete steps to ease the nation’s prolonged political crisis in the letter. Key among them is formation of an inclusive transition government, with three ministerial portfolios each allocated to the historic African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde (PAIGC) party and the political group led by Fernando Dias Da Costa. Furthermore, ten representatives from these groups will join the National Transition Council.
In a significant humanitarian and political move, authorities announced the release of all political prisoners. They also improved detention conditions for PAIGC President Domingos Simoes Pereira, transferring him from central prison to house arrest. The transitional government withdrew its earlier request for departure of the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea Bissau (ESSMGB), signaling openness to regional oversight.
While welcoming these actions, ECOWAS urged all national stakeholders to work collaboratively ensuring a peaceful and credible transition leading to democratic elections. The regional authority went further, calling for the full and effective release of Pereira and guarantees of fundamental rights for all citizens. The communique, released from Abuja on January 30, reaffirmed ECOWAS’s continued support to the people of Guinea Bissau.
A military coup occurred on November 26, 2025, one day before official results from the November 23 presidential and legislative elections were scheduled for announcement. General Horta Inta A, former chief of staff to ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, was appointed transitional president. The coup halted Guinea Bissau’s electoral process and led to ECOWAS suspending the nation’s membership.
President Bio led a high level ECOWAS mission to Guinea Bissau in early January, accompanied by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray. They held talks with military leaders calling for a short, structured transition and release of detained opposition figures. The junta initially announced a twelve month transition period but appears to be responding to regional pressure.
This sequence of events marks a potential turning point, offering a fragile roadmap out of instability for a nation long plagued by political turmoil. Guinea Bissau has experienced nine coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. The country’s December 2026 election date represents a compromise between ECOWAS demands for rapid democratic restoration and military preferences for extended transition.
