On Monday, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the President of Guinea-Bissau, issued a decree dissolving the opposition-led parliament. The decision, driven by what President Embalo called “an attempted coup,” took effect immediately.
The recent traumatic events, occurring on November 30 and December 1, were cited as attempts to “subvert the constitutional order,” according to the decree. Human lives have been tragically lost in these criminal acts, leading to the dissolution of the “the National People’s Assembly of the XI Legislature”. The announcement of a date for new legislative elections has been promised to come “in due time”.
President Embalo announced the status quo in Bissau on Twitter, assuring that “Everything is going well in Bissau. Democratic achievements are respected and maintained.” Nonetheless, the announcement brought with it much critique. Domingos Simoes, the president of the parliament, deemed the act as “a constitutional coup d’état”.
Adding to the critique, journalist Ayoba Faye claimed that President Embalo’s dissolution of the parliament violated Article 94 of the Guinea-Bissau constitution. This article states that “the National Popular Assembly may not be dissolved in the 12 months after an election, in the final six months of a presidential mandate, or during martial law or state of emergency.”
Last week, the decision to dissolve the parliament came after a violent confrontation erupted between members of the National Guard and special forces in Bissau. This followed the release of two officials, the Economy and Finance Minister Suleimane Seidi and Treasury Secretary António Monteiro, from custody. The re-detention of the two officials happened soon after the violent occurrence.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the violence and disruption to Guinea-Bissau’s constitutional order. The African Union also released a statement expressing concerns over the dissolution of parliament and advocating for dialogue, respect for the constitution and unity in the country.
This is not the first time President Embalo has made such a decision. He previously dissolved the parliament in 2022 alleging corruption.