Guinea-Bissau: key takeaways from the first meeting between the junta and ECOWAS
An ECOWAS delegation arrived in Bissau this Monday, December 1, 2025, hoping to engage in a dialogue with the new military authorities.
This visit comes after the November 26 coup, which plunged the country into a serious institutional crisis.
West African heads of state reacted quickly, condemning the coup and deciding to suspend Guinea-Bissau’s participation in all ECOWAS decision-making bodies until constitutional order is restored.
On the agenda for this first meeting: a demand for an immediate return to constitutional order, the release of arrested officials, and the resumption of the interrupted electoral process.
ECOWAS insists that the vote count for the November 23, 2025 ballot be completed and validated.
On the other side, the ruling junta justifies its action as a necessary restoration of order and security. It says it wants to allow the Electoral Commission to publish the results in a calm environment.
Tensions remain high. The population is watching cautiously and international actors are monitoring how the junta’s commitment evolves. The ECOWAS mission appears to be a crucial test: the question is whether the dialogue begun today will lead to a genuine restoration of democracy or whether the crisis will be prolonged.
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