Guinea-Bissau's exiled former president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, has announced plans to return to the country and run for president in the upcoming election on December 6. Embalo was ousted in a coup on November 26, just days after a presidential vote, and the junta established under General Horta N'Tam has set the date for presidential and legislative elections to restore civilian rule.
The coup occurred one day before provisional results were to be announced, and many observers have suspected Embalo of orchestrating the coup to halt an election process he appeared to be losing. Despite this, Embalo told AFP that he will be a candidate in the presidential election, but did not specify when he would return to the country.
General Horta N'Tam, a close associate of Embalo, has stated that every Guinean is free to return to their country if they have nothing to be ashamed of. Activists have posted on social media that they are planning for Embalo's return on Sunday. According to political analyst Malam Cisse, legally, nothing stands in the way of Embalo's return to Guinea-Bissau, as he did not sign any document renouncing power.
History professor Bassirou Sadio believes that once the legal conditions are met, everyone should be able to participate in the political contest while respecting established rules. N'Tam, who also serves as transitional president, is barred from running for president in the election under the country's transitional charter.
The military justified its coup by stating it was ensuring national order following the discovery of a plot to destabilise the country involving drug lords. Voters in Guinea-Bissau approved an August referendum on a constitutional change that gives the president more powers, which the junta said will stabilise institutions before the elections in December.
However, the political climate is tense in the coup-prone nation, and the opposition urged voters to boycott the process. Guinea-Bissau has seen five coups and several attempted overthrows since its independence from Portugal in 1974, and the nation's crippling poverty and political chaos have made it a fertile ground for corruption and drug smuggling.
The country's situation is part of a larger trend in Africa, where leaders are seeking to amend or overhaul constitutions to extend term limits, remove age restrictions, or expand executive powers. The international community is watching closely as Guinea-Bissau prepares for the upcoming elections, which are seen as a crucial step towards restoring stability and democracy in the country.
Key points
- Exiled President Umaro Sissoco Embalo plans to return to Guinea-Bissau and run for president in December's election.
- The country's transitional charter bars General Horta N'Tam from running for president in the upcoming election.
- Guinea-Bissau has experienced five coups and several attempted overthrows since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.
