ECOWAS suspends Guinea-bissau after shock military coup

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has thrown Guinea-Bissau out of its decision-making circles after soldiers seized power in a dramatic coup that has plunged the tiny nation into fresh turmoil.

The suspension was announced late Thursday following an emergency virtual meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, chaired by Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio. The bloc said it acted under its protocol on democracy and good governance, insisting the country would remain sidelined until “full and effective constitutional order” is restored.

The coup unfolded on Wednesday, just days after tightly contested presidential and parliamentary elections. Military officers stormed the political space, halted the vote-counting process, sealed the country’s borders, and blocked the release of election results.

ECOWAS strongly condemned the takeover and denounced the arrest of several figures, including President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who had been widely tipped to win Sunday’s poll. The bloc described the events as an “illegal abortion of the democratic process” and demanded the immediate release of all detained officials, including electoral staff and political leaders.

Leaders of the region insisted the junta must respect the will of the people and allow the suspended electoral commission to publish the results without delay.

In a swift move to consolidate control, the coup plotters named General Horta N’Tam, the army’s chief of staff, as interim leader for one year — a decision ECOWAS has rejected outright.

The development marks yet another setback for a region already battling a spree of military takeovers, raising fears of deeper instability if swift diplomatic pressure fails to reverse the latest power grab.