The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) late Thursday “strongly” condemned the coup carried out by the Guinea-Bissau army, demanded the restoration of constitutional order, demanded the release of political figures and election officials, and urged the armed forces to return to their barracks.
In a statement published on its website, the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council expressed its “deep concern about the political crisis developing in Guinea-Bissau,” after a meeting that included leaders and representatives of up to 11 countries in the region, as well as the Community, the African Union, and the head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOS), Leonardo Santos Simao.
“The CMS strongly condemns the coup of November 26, 2025 and demands the unconditional restoration of constitutional order without delay,” the text continues, in which the body rejects “any agreement that perpetuates the illegal interruption of the democratic process and undermines the will of the people.” “The agreement urges the Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau to return to their barracks and maintain their constitutional function,” the text stated.
Likewise, the entity demanded “the immediate and unconditional release of all detained officials, in particular President Oumarou Sissoko Embalo, as well as electoral officials and other political figures,” although the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, shortly before the statement was published, that the president had arrived “safe and sound” on a charter flight from Dakar.
At the same time, the ECOWAS body held the coup leaders responsible “individually and collectively” for protecting “the lives and property of all citizens and residents” in Guinea-Bissau, as well as the safety of all detainees.
The Council also called on “the coup leaders to respect the will of the people and allow the National Electoral Commission to move forward without delay in announcing the results of the November 23, 2025 elections,” and urged them to ensure security and facilitate the evacuation and safe passage of ECOWAS and all other international election observers.
On the other hand, for “dialogue with the coup leaders with the aim of ensuring the full restoration of constitutional order,” the body entrusted the leadership of a high-level mediation mission to Guinea-Bissau to the Chairman of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada.
The mission, according to the statement, will consist of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé; From Cape Verde, José María Pereira Neves, and from Senegal, Passero Diomai Fay, accompanied by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Aliu Touray.
At the same time, the CMS decided to “suspend Guinea-Bissau’s membership in all ECOWAS decision-making bodies until full and effective constitutional order is restored in the country” and reserved “the right to use all options set forth” in its rules, “including imposing sanctions on all entities guilty of disrupting the electoral and democratic process in Guinea-Bissau.”