AU Chief Condemns Guinea-Bissau Coup, Demands President Embaló Release

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has strongly condemned the military coup d’état in Guinea-Bissau, which saw President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, senior government officials, and political leaders arrested just as the country awaited the official announcement of its electoral results.

In a sharply worded statement, the Chairperson reaffirmed the African Union’s zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government, citing the organisation’s foundational legal frameworks — the Constitutive Act of the AU, the 2000 Lomé Declaration, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the Ezulwini Framework.

Youssouf underscored the need to respect the authority of Guinea-Bissau’s National Electoral Commission (CNE), the only legally mandated body to announce official results, and emphasised that the ongoing electoral process must be allowed to proceed without military interference.

Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of President Embaló and all detained officials, the Chairperson urged all stakeholders to exercise restraint to prevent further destabilisation.

He further pledged the AU’s readiness — in partnership with ECOWAS and other international actors — to support efforts aimed at restoring constitutional order, ensuring dialogue, and safeguarding the democratic process.

The Chairperson concluded by expressing the African Union’s solidarity with the people of Guinea-Bissau during this critical moment, reaffirming the AU’s commitment to peace, stability, and democratic consolidation in the country.