African Union, ECOWAS condemn Guinea-Bissau coup, demand release of detained leaders

The African Union has condemned the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, terming the arrest of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and other senior officials as a serious violation of constitutional order.

In a statement on Thursday, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for the immediate release of all detained leaders, urging all parties to exercise restraint and respect the country’s electoral process to prevent further political instability.

“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, unequivocally condemns the military coup d’Etat that took place in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau on 26 November 2025, resulting in the arrest of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, senior officials, and political leaders, at a moment when the nation was on the verge of the announcement of its electoral results,” the Union said.

Mahmoud reiterated the AU’s zero tolerance for any unconstitutional change of government, citing the Constitutive Act of the African Union (2000), the Lomé Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (2000), the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007) and the Ezulwini Framework (2009). He highlighted a joint statement issued on Wednesday by the AU and ECOWAS election observation missions and the West African Elders Forum, stressing the need to respect the ongoing electoral process.

“The imperative is to uphold constitutional order and the mandate of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), the sole institution legally empowered to proclaim official election results in the country. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of President Embaló and all detained officials and urge all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to prevent any further deterioration of the situation,” Youssouf added.

An army general has been sworn in as Guinea-Bissau’s transitional president for one year following the coup. Gen Horta N’Tam took the oath on Thursday in brief proceedings at the army headquarters.

The military had already suspended the electoral process and blocked the release of results from the presidential vote held on November 23, in which both Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias da Costa, claimed victory.

Some civil society groups have accused Embaló of orchestrating a “simulated coup” to prevent election results from being announced should he lose.

“This manoeuvre aims to prevent the publication of the electoral results scheduled for tomorrow, November 27,” the civil society coalition Popular Front said.

The president has not responded to the allegations but has previously survived multiple alleged coup attempts. Critics suggest some crises may have been fabricated to suppress dissent.

The United Nations also expressed concern, stating, “The Secretary General is following the situation with deep concern. He appeals to all national stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau to exercise restraint and respect the rule of law. The Secretary-General will continue to closely follow the situation in the country as it unfolds,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

Opposition candidate Dias urged calm and military neutrality.

“We are not asking for anything. We will wait for the official results to be announced,” he said, calling for citizens to remain calm.

The electoral commission had planned to release provisional presidential and parliamentary results on Thursday.

The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM) and the West African Elders Forum have also condemned the military coup in Guinea-Bissau that unfolded just days after the country's presidential and legislative elections on November 23.

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• ECOWAS condemn Guinea-Bissau coup

The electoral commission had planned to release provisional presidential and parliamentary results on Thursday, but the announcement is now on hold.

In a joint statement, the observer missions described the coup as a blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process, noting that the polls were conducted in an orderly and peaceful fashion.

"Despite these encouraging developments, we express deep concern with the announcement of a coup d'etat by the armed forces, while the nation was waiting for the announcement of the results," said the observer missions.

"It's regrettable that this announcement came at a time when the missions had just concluded a meeting with the two leading presidential candidates, who assured us of their willingness to accept the will of the people."

Further, the missions urged the armed forces to immediately release those detained and called on the African Union and ECOWAS to take swift action to restore constitutional order.

"We call on the people of Guinea Bissau to remain calm, and we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the Country on its democratic path, and in this respect, we underscore the importance of preserving peace, stability, and the well-being of the Bissau-Guinean people during this sensiñve period," the observer missions said.