The Economic Community of West African States has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies following a military coup that took place on Wednesday. The regional bloc is demanding the swift restoration of constitutional order and has vowed to sanction the coup leaders if they do not reverse their actions.

In a statement released after an Extraordinary Virtual Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, the bloc condemned the takeover. The council was chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio. ECOWAS denounced the November 26 coup and rejected any attempt to undermine the recent electoral process. The council demanded that the coup leaders allow the National Electoral Commission to announce the official results of the November 23 presidential and parliamentary elections without any interference.

The Council also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, including President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, election officials, and other political figures who are reportedly being held by the mutinous soldiers. It emphasized that the coup leaders are personally and collectively responsible for the safety of civilians, detainees, and public property. Citing the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, the council formally suspended Guinea-Bissau until constitutional rule is fully restored.

To mediate the crisis, ECOWAS has tasked President Julius Maada Bio with leading a High-Level Mission to Bissau. He will be joined by Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé, Cabo Verde’s President José Maria Neves, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and the ECOWAS Commission President. The Council urged the armed forces of Guinea-Bissau to return to their barracks and uphold their constitutional duties. It also instructed the ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau to continue its work of safeguarding state institutions during this unstable period.

Reaffirming its commitment to monitor the situation, ECOWAS warned that it may employ all available regional mechanisms, including sanctions, against those responsible for disrupting the electoral process. The bloc stressed that it remains fully engaged with regional and international partners to ensure the rapid restoration of democracy in Guinea-Bissau.