By Paul Ejime
ABUJA — Guinea-Bissau’s two leading opposition coalitions have mounted fresh pressure on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), demanding the immediate establishment of a civilian-led transitional government while rejecting sweeping constitutional and electoral reforms being pursued by the country’s military authorities.
In a memorandum submitted ahead of the ECOWAS Heads of State Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Sunday, July 19, the opposition alliances—PAI-TR and API-CG—called on regional leaders to enforce decisions reached at the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja on December 14, 2025, following what they described as former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló’s “self-coup” of November 26, 2025.
Addressed to ECOWAS Chairman and Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, the memorandum urged the regional bloc to facilitate “a genuine civilian transition,” led by a civilian President and Prime Minister, to oversee an inclusive government representing the country’s political diversity and organize credible, free and transparent elections on a date agreed by consensus.
Copies of the memorandum were also sent to the Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, the Chairperson of the African Union, the AU Special Representative in Guinea-Bissau, the Presidents of the ECOWAS and European Commissions, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guinea-Bissau.
Describing themselves as representatives of the majority of Guinea-Bissau’s population, the opposition coalitions dismissed the National Transitional Council (NTC) as an illegitimate body established by the military authorities after the coup.
According to the memorandum, the NTC—headed by the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces—is dominated by military officers involved in the takeover and political allies of Embaló, with no meaningful representation from the country’s major political parties.
The opposition also accused the junta of secretly drafting a new Constitution without public consultation, scheduling a constitutional referendum for August 30, 2026, and revising the Electoral Code based on the proposed Constitution before securing public approval.
“The authorities who seized power by force and refused to engage in dialogue for an inclusive transition are now unilaterally rewriting the country’s constitutional framework and preparing to impose it on the people,” the memorandum stated.
The opposition reminded ECOWAS of commitments made during its Abuja Summit, including the release of detained political leaders, the establishment of a short civilian-led transition, protection for political actors through the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB), and targeted sanctions against individuals obstructing the return to constitutional rule.
“To date, none of these commitments has been implemented,” the coalitions said, accusing the military authorities of openly disregarding ECOWAS decisions.
The memorandum highlighted the continued detention of Domingos Simões Pereira, President of the National People’s Assembly and leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde (PAIGC).
According to the opposition, Pereira—who spent more than six months under house arrest after a 64-day detention earlier this year—was again imprisoned on July 10 by order of a military court.
The coalitions described the prosecution as unconstitutional, arguing that Pereira, as a sitting Member of Parliament, enjoys parliamentary immunity and can only be prosecuted after such immunity is lifted. They further maintained that any trial should fall within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court rather than a military tribunal.
They also argued that attempted coup d’état is not an offence triable by a military court where the accused is a civilian, citing provisions of Guinea-Bissau’s Constitution and Military Code of Justice.
Pereira and the PAIGC were excluded from the November 23, 2025 elections. He subsequently endorsed opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa, who claimed victory in the disputed poll.
The opposition said Da Costa remains in Bissau without security protection after leaving refuge at the Nigerian Embassy in January following the military takeover.
Beyond the detention of opposition figures, the coalitions accused the military government of systematically suppressing political freedoms through arbitrary arrests, travel restrictions, kidnappings, assaults, assassinations of regime critics and the closure of political party offices nationwide.
They argued that under such conditions, neither the proposed constitutional referendum nor the December 6 elections could be considered free, credible or legitimate.
The opposition further pointed out that the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance prohibits significant amendments to electoral laws less than six months before an election.
Calling for decisive regional intervention, the memorandum urged ECOWAS to compel the military authorities to comply fully with the Abuja resolutions.
Among its demands are the immediate release of Domingos Simões Pereira, the restoration of unrestricted political activities, the reopening of party offices, and the rejection of the proposed constitutional referendum and all legislation enacted by the National Transitional Council.
The opposition also appealed to ECOWAS to convene an inclusive national dialogue involving political parties, civil society and international partners—including the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), African Union, European Union and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)—to negotiate a roadmap for restoring constitutional order and overseeing the transition.
The Guinea-Bissau crisis has exposed growing divisions within ECOWAS itself. While some regional leaders are perceived as backing Embaló’s administration, others favour tougher measures, including sanctions and barring military leaders from participating in future elections.
As regional leaders gather in Freetown, the summit presents what many observers see as a defining test of ECOWAS’ credibility.
The regional bloc, already grappling with an unprecedented wave of military takeovers across West Africa, faces mounting scrutiny over its ability to defend constitutional governance. Four ECOWAS member states are currently under military rule, while Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have withdrawn from the bloc to establish the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), deepening concerns about democratic backsliding, constitutional manipulation, shrinking civic space and persistent governance failures across the region.
The decisions taken in Freetown could therefore prove pivotal—not only for Guinea-Bissau’s political future but also for ECOWAS’ standing as the principal guardian of democratic governance in West Africa.
