Guinea-Bissau's membership in the African Union suspended after the coup
The African Union announced on Friday the suspension of Guinea-Bissau’s membership in all its activities and bodies, in a firm and direct response to the rapidly unfolding events in the country, which included the overthrow of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and the seizure of power by military leaders in this West African nation.
Immediate decision to suspend membership
This decision came just two days after the military actions that forcibly altered the political landscape. According to the news report, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, stated that the Union had decided to "suspend with immediate effect" Guinea-Bissau's participation in all bodies of the continental organization, in accordance with the Union's Constitutive Acts, which categorically reject any unconstitutional changes of government in member states.
Details of the coup and the transitional phase
In a dramatic turn of events, the military junta, which had seized power, appointed a general as interim president for a one-year term. The army had officially announced on Wednesday the ouster of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and suspended the electoral process, the results of which the nation had been eagerly awaiting, plunging the country into a new period of political uncertainty.
Political controversy and mutual accusations
This coup did not go unchallenged by domestic political actors; the opposition condemned what happened, describing it as a "farce" or a coup orchestrated by the outgoing president himself. The opposition believes this move may be a political maneuver aimed at preventing them from winning a potential presidential election, thus adding another layer of complexity to an already tense political landscape.
A history of political turmoil
This event is not unusual in Guinea-Bissau's political history; this small West African nation has suffered a long series of upheavals since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. The country has witnessed numerous successful military coups and failed coup attempts, as well as political assassinations targeting high-ranking officials, making the military a central and consistently influential player in political life and hindering development efforts and institutional stability.
Regional and international repercussions
The African Union's decision comes in a sensitive regional context, as West Africa has witnessed a wave of military coups in recent years, raising concerns within the international community and regional organizations such as ECOWAS. Suspending membership is a traditional diplomatic pressure tactic used by the African Union to isolate coup regimes and urge them to quickly return to constitutional order and hand power back to civilians, fearing the spread of coups to neighboring countries and the threat to peace and security on the continent.
