Military authorities in coup-prone Guinea-Bissau have announced that presidential and legislative elections will be held on 6 December, despite mounting pressure for a faster return to civilian rule.
Transitional President Horta N’Tam signed a decree on Wednesday following consultations with members of the National Transitional Council, senior military officials, government representatives and the electoral commission. Speaking to reporters, N’Tam said the country now had the conditions in place to hold free and fair elections.
Guinea-Bissau’s coup leaders have faced sustained pressure from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, since they ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in November. Ecowas has demanded a swift transition, rejected the junta’s earlier proposal for a year-long timeline, suspended the country from its decision-making bodies and warned of further sanctions.
It remains unclear how Ecowas will respond to the newly announced election schedule.
The November 2025 coup sparked widespread criticism, coming just before the official announcement of presidential election results. Both Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias, had claimed victory at the time. The military justified its intervention by alleging a plot to destabilise the already fragile West African state.
However, some regional figures, including former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, have argued that the coup was orchestrated rather than necessary.
Attention is now turning to potential candidates for the presidency. The transitional charter adopted after the coup bars interim leader N’Tam and his prime minister from contesting the election. Still, amid a regional pattern of military rulers extending their grip on power, observers remain cautious about whether Guinea-Bissau will fully break with that trend.
