Guinea-Bissau military bans protests ahead of ECOWAS delegation visit

Guinea-Bissau’s military rulers have imposed a ban on protests and strikes as they consolidate control ahead of a high-level visit by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which aims to restore constitutional order following last week’s coup.

The military government, which seized power in what some West African leaders have called a “sham” coup, announced late on November 30 that all demonstrations, strikes, and activities deemed threats to peace and stability are prohibited. The directive also ordered public institutions, ministries, and state secretariats to reopen and resume operations, CNBC reports.

The announcement came after protests in the capital, Bissau, on November 29, where hundreds—primarily youths—demanded the release of detained opposition leaders and the publication of the contested presidential election results.

The ECOWAS mediation team, comprising the presidents of Togo, Cape Verde, and Senegal, along with the ECOWAS Commission president, was expected to arrive in Bissau on December 1. The delegation’s mission is to persuade the coup leaders to restore constitutional order and release the disputed election returns. ECOWAS has warned that it may impose sanctions on individuals or groups responsible for undermining Guinea-Bissau’s electoral and democratic processes.

Major-General Horta Inta-a, the interim president installed by the military, defended the coup as a necessary measure to prevent “narcotraffickers” from “capturing Guinean democracy.” He vowed to oversee a transition lasting one year, beginning immediately.

By Vafa Guliyeva