The ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have held a rare emergency session to condemn the 26 November coup in Guinea-Bissau.
They issued a firm demand for the swift and unconditional restoration of constitutional rule, which was disrupted mere days after the country held presidential and parliamentary elections.
Chaired virtually on Thursday, 27 November, by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) convened to assess the rapidly escalating political crisis that has thrown Guinea-Bissau into profound uncertainty.
The extraordinary session brought together leaders and representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Liberia, Senegal, Benin, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, alongside senior officials of the African Union, United Nations and the ECOWAS Commission.
In a strongly worded communiqué, the MSC lamented the timing of the coup, noting that citizens of Guinea-Bissau had demonstrated “resilience and commitment to democracy” by turning out for the 23 November elections.
The Council said the military takeover was an unacceptable interruption of the democratic process and a direct subversion of the people’s will.
ECOWAS “condemns in the strongest terms the coup d’état perpetrated on 26 November, 2025 and calls for the unconditional restoration of constitutional order without delay,” the communiqué stated.
The regional bloc rejected any political arrangement that seeks to legitimize what it described as an illegal seizure of power.
The MSC demanded the immediate release of all detained officials, including President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, electoral officers, and political figures.
It further insisted that coup leaders allow the National Electoral Commission to complete and announce the results of the 23 November elections without interference.
Holding the coup leaders “individually and collectively responsible” for the safety of citizens, ECOWAS also called for the protection and safe evacuation of regional and international election observers currently in Guinea-Bissau.
In one of its toughest decisions yet, the MSC suspended Guinea-Bissau from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies pending the “full and effective restoration” of constitutional order.
The bloc also warned that it may impose sanctions under its existing protocols should the military authorities refuse to comply.
To press for swift resolution, ECOWAS mandated a high-level mediation mission to engage with coup leaders.
The mission, to be led by President Bio, will include the Presidents of Togo, Cabo Verde and Senegal, alongside the ECOWAS Commission President.
The regional body ordered the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB) to continue protecting state institutions and urged the country’s armed forces to return to barracks and resume their constitutional duties.
With tensions still high in Bissau, ECOWAS vowed to remain fully engaged, stressing that it “reserves the right to use all options” provided in its governance and sanctions frameworks to defend democracy in the region.
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