Guinea-Bissau junta sets December election date after coup

Guinea-Bissau junta sets December election date after coup

Guinea-Bissau’s ruling military authorities have announced that the country will hold presidential and legislative elections on December 6, two months after soldiers seized power and halted an ongoing vote.

In a decree published on Wednesday, the junta said it had met all requirements to organise a credible ballot. The announcement was read to journalists by General Horta N Tam, who is leading the transition. “All the conditions for organising free, fair and transparent elections have been met,” N Tam said, according to the decree.

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The decision follows the publication earlier this month of a transitional charter that bars N Tam from standing in the elections. The military has appointed him as interim leader following the overthrow of Umaro Sissoco Embalo just days after the country held a presidential election in November.

The army suspended the electoral process and removed Embalo, who was seeking a second term, claiming it acted to prevent violence.

The junta has said it intervened “to avoid a bloodbath between supporters of the rival candidates”, according to AFP.

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Pressure has mounted on the military rulers to restore civilian rule, particularly from regional leaders. The election announcement comes days after a high level mission from the Economic Community of West African States visited the capital, Bissau.

The delegation was led by Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone president and current ECOWAS chair, alongside Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Senegal president. Both leaders met with junta officials and urged a short and transparent transition back to constitutional order.

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They also called for the release of political detainees, including opposition figure Domingos Simoes Pereira, who was arrested on the day of the coup, AFP reported.

Guinea Bissau has a long history of political instability and military вмеш interference, with repeated coups since independence. Regional blocs and international partners have warned that continued delays to civilian rule could deepen the country’s isolation and economic strain

Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.

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