Guinea-Bissau - February 2025

On 3 February, Guinea-Bissau’s Supreme Court ruled that President Umaro Sissoco Embaló’s mandate expires on 4 September, contradicting opposition claims that it ended on 27 February. The court based its decision on the date it officially confirmed Embaló as president in 2020, while the opposition argues his term should be counted from 26 February 2020, when he staged his own inauguration in a Bissau hotel. On 23 February, the government announced that both presidential and parliamentary elections—originally set for November 2024—would be held on 30 November 2025. Opposition groups accused Embaló of attempting to extend his rule beyond the legal term limit and called for a nationwide strike on 27 February, though turnout was low. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations (UN) attempted mediation between 23 and 28 February but failed to reach a consensus on the electoral calendar.

Sources: International IDEA, Reuters, International Crisis Group, Africa Confidential