A high-powered ECOWAS team led by Chairman and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio touched down in Guinea-Bissau Monday to open direct talks with the military junta that seized power last week.
The mission’s clear objective: secure a swift return to constitutional government.
Current Situation on the Ground
- All protests and strikes banned by the junta
- Public offices and ministries ordered back to work Sunday night
- A 28-member civilian cabinet appointed — mostly loyalists of the former regime
- Deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló now in exile in Brazzaville
Nigeria Shields Opposition Leader
President Bola Tinubu has granted diplomatic protection to main opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa after credible reports of threats to his life. Dias da Costa is currently inside the Nigerian embassy in Bissau, with requests made for ECOWAS peacekeepers to secure the compound.
Regional and Global Reaction
- ECOWAS has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its organs until democracy is restored
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the coup and demanded immediate release of detained officials and full return to civilian rule
The military, under new leader General Horta Inta-a, has pledged a one-year transition, but regional leaders insist only an elected government is acceptable.
Talks between President Bio’s delegation and the junta began immediately upon arrival.
