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1h ago

Guinea-Bissau Heads to Polls With Embalo Favored After Opposition Ban

Heavy deployments by ECOWAS forces with national police underscore fears of post-election disputes.

Guinea Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
Supporters of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo show a red keffiyeh bearing his image during a political rally in Bissau on November 11, 2025
Since coming to power, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo claims to have been the target of several coup attempts
Umaro Sissoco Embalo Embalo, 53, in favoured to win the election in the first round despite a term marked by more political instability

Overview

  • Voters on November 23 will choose a president and 102 lawmakers after parliament was dissolved in December 2023.
  • The Supreme Court barred PAIGC and its leader Domingos Simoes Pereira for late filings, and Pereira has endorsed Fernando Dias as the main challenger.
  • Analysts describe Embalo as strongly positioned for a second term, with a runoff required if no candidate surpasses 50% of votes.
  • Authorities say more than 6,780 personnel, including the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force, will secure the vote and the days that follow.
  • The campaign plays out in a state scarred by repeated coups, an alleged plot announced in late October, and a resurgent cocaine transit trade alongside widespread extreme poverty.