Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, in a surprising move, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau has announced he will not seek a second term in the upcoming November elections, despite being legally eligible. His announcement has sparked speculation among political analysts, with some suggesting it could be a strategic political maneuver.
Embalo, who has ruled the country by decree since dissolving parliament in December 2023, declared that none of his political rivals Domingos Simoes Pereira, Braima Camara, or Nuno Nabiam would succeed him, claiming that “Guinea-Bissau deserves better politicians.” His main opponent, Domingos Simoes Pereira, leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), has not commented on Embalo’s decision, calling it a personal matter.
The PAIGC, a historically Marxist party, led Guinea-Bissau after its independence from Portugal in 1974. Embalo was once a member of the PAIGC and even served as prime minister in a PAIGC-led government before joining the dissident Movement for Democratic Alternation (Madem G15) party.
Political tension between Embalo and Pereira has been high, with the president refusing to appoint Pereira as prime minister after PAIGC won the most seats in the last parliamentary elections. Pereira, who fled to Portugal, returned to Guinea-Bissau recently after being assured his parliamentary immunity would be respected, despite the parliament’s dissolution.
Embalo’s relationship with Braima Camara, president of Madem G15, has also soured, leading to a split within the party. Camara has accused Embalo of undermining democratic institutions, while Embalo has attempted to isolate him within the party. Two factions now vie for control of Madem G15.
Another political opponent, Nuno Nabiam, who served as prime minister from 2020 to 2023, criticized Embalo’s governance, claiming he had no real power as Embalo controlled all decisions. Nabiam, now in Portugal, also accused the president of diverting attention from the country’s real issues, particularly drug trafficking, after authorities recently seized 2.6 tons of cocaine at Bissau airport.
As the political landscape in Guinea-Bissau grows more complex ahead of the November elections, Embalo’s unexpected decision to step aside leaves questions about his political intentions and the future leadership of the country.
