A Senegalese delegation arrived in Bissau on Sunday, 21 December, to call for the release of political opponents detained following Guinea-Bissau’s coup on 26 November. The military had overthrown President Umaro Sissoco Embalo just before provisional election results were due, suspending the electoral process.
The junta appointed General Horta N’Tam to lead a one-year transitional government. Opposition candidate Fernando Dias, who claims victory, sought asylum at the Nigerian embassy, while other opposition leaders, including Domingos Simões Pereira, were arrested. Embalo, initially detained, has since left the country.
Led by Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang, the Senegalese delegation met with detainees and Dias, urging their release and reaffirming Senegal’s support for a swift return to normalcy. A planned visit by ECOWAS military Chiefs did not occur, with local security citing unreadiness to receive the delegation.
ECOWAS had warned of targeted sanctions against those obstructing a return to civilian rule. Guinea-Bissau, located between Senegal and Guinea (Conakry), remains politically volatile, having experienced four coups and several attempted coups since independence in 1974.