Eminent Africans Demand Immediate Release of Guinea-Bissau Election Results Amid Coup Fallout
By: Nana Kwasi Roka
A Coalition of 20 eminent Africans, including former heads of state, senior ECOWAS officials, policymakers, scholars and civil society leaders, has demanded the immediate release of the results of Guinea-Bissau’s 23 November legislative and presidential elections, accusing the country’s military of violently disrupting the democratic process.
In a strongly worded joint statement titled “Restoring Constitutional Order and the Rule of Law in Guinea-Bissau,” the group urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to “demand the truth, protect the winner and request the freeing of political actors being detained by the military junta.”
The signatories – led by former President of Cabo Verde, Pedro Pires, and ex-Cabo Verde Foreign Minister José Brito – called on ECOWAS leaders to take decisive action at their 14 December summit, warning that silence or inaction could embolden similar anti-democratic manoeuvres across West Africa.
According to the statement, the National Electoral Commission (CNE) was forced into announcing its inability to continue compiling and publishing the election results due to threats from security forces. The group alleged that military officers destroyed or seized key electoral documents and electronic data in a “desperate attempt to destroy the archives and bury the will of the people.”
They further condemned what they described as a “brutal and comic” turn of events involving President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who reportedly rushed to announce his own deposition, even as the military stormed the CNE headquarters, confiscated electoral materials and arrested officials believed to be aligned with the opposition.
“This violent military intrusion was intended to frustrate the democratic aspirations of the people of Amilcar Cabral’s country,” the group said.
While commending ECOWAS for condemning the 26 November coup and convening a virtual emergency summit, the group also praised the decision by ECOWAS Chairperson and Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio to lead a high-level mission to Bissau.
They called on other international bodies – including the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN) and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) – to intensify pressure on Guinea-Bissau’s junta to restore constitutional order.
“We cannot keep quiet in the face of blatant violations of democracy. Allowing military actors to silence the people’s voice is an unacceptable precedent for the entire region,” the statement warned.
The group insisted that the justification for delaying the announcement of results was unacceptable, noting that copies and even original copies, of the election tallies still exist and could be published through coordinated international intervention.
Meanwhile, Embaló’s movements have sparked further controversy. After being evacuated to Dakar by Senegalese President Diomaye Faye, Embaló reportedly left Senegal following strong objection from Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who described the situation in Guinea-Bissau as a “sham.” He subsequently moved to Congo-Brazzaville, and most recently to Morocco, reportedly en route to Portugal, with claims he intends to return to Guinea-Bissau to reclaim power.
Among the notable signatories are Dr Abass Bundu, former ECOWAS Executive Secretary; Hajia Halima Ahmed, former ECOWAS Commissioner; Prof Kwame Karikari of the Media Foundation for West Africa; Barrister Femi Falana (SAN) of Nigeria; Dr Kojo Asante of CDD-Ghana; Prof Mahmood Mamdani (USA); and Dr Alioune Tine of Senegal, among others.
The group concluded by urging Africans and the international community to reject “undemocratic manoeuvres” in Guinea-Bissau and stand in solidarity with its citizens in their quest for democracy, stability and the rule of law.
