A joint mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) has been dispatched to Guinea Bissau to support national efforts towards peace and stability. The mission, which is scheduled to take place from February 23 to 28, 2025, is led by Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

According to the ECOWAS Commission, the mission is in line with the directive of the 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Government, held on December 15, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria. The directive mandated the deployment of a high-level political mission to Guinea Bissau to support efforts by political actors and stakeholders towards a political consensus on the electoral calendar.

The objective of the mission is to provide Guinea Bissau with the requisite technical support towards a successful electoral cycle and the promotion of peace, security, and stability in the country. The delegation will hold consultations with the government and other critical stakeholders on the political and security developments in the country.

Guinea Bissau has been experiencing instability and political tensions since President Embalo assumed office in February 2020, following a disputed presidential poll. The country has witnessed two alleged military coups, and the government’s dissolution of the national parliament, with the national electoral commission and the Supreme Court in a dysfunctional state.

ECOWAS has a military mission providing a level of stabilization in the country. Early this month, a controversially constituted Supreme Court fixed the presidential election in Guinea Bissau for September 2025. The joint mission is expected to support Guinea Bissau in its efforts to promote peace, security, and stability in the country.