Guinea-Bissau political crisis intensifies ahead of 2026 elections

Guinea-Bissau is facing a deepening political crisis as the country prepares for a presidential election scheduled for December 6, 2026. Since a military takeover on November 26, 2025, following a contested election, the nation has been under military authority.

Security forces are currently conducting a large-scale disarmament operation in the capital, Bissau, searching containers and homes for weapons and ammunition. Authorities claim some of the seized equipment is linked to elements associated with former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

Embaló, who is currently in exile in Morocco, has expressed his intention to return to Bissau and run in the upcoming election. However, the military command has stated that security conditions are not yet met for his return.

In response to the instability, twenty-four prominent figures from Senegal, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau have issued an open letter to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They are calling on the regional organization to strengthen its intervention to ensure a credible transition to civilian rule, an independent opposition, and an accepted electoral calendar. This follows a constitutional reform approved by referendum in August 2026, which expanded presidential powers and reduced the role of Parliament.