Guinea-Bissau plunged into political turmoil following a military coup on Wednesday, November 26, which saw the suspension of all electoral activities and the immediate closure of national borders. This dramatic takeover occurred after the country's presidential and legislative elections on November 23, where both incumbent President Umaro Embaló and his key challenger, Fernando Dias, prematurely declared victory before official results were announced by the electoral commission. The sudden military intervention trapped international observers, including former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who was leading a joint election observer mission deployed by the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and the West African Elders Forum.

Former President Jonathan was subsequently evacuated from Guinea-Bissau on Thursday, returning to Abuja. He expressed profound gratitude to Nigerians for their empathy and to the Presidents of Ivory Coast and Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, for dispatching aircraft to facilitate his rescue. Jonathan noted that Ivory Coast's plane was able to secure a landing permit faster due to its proximity and existing relationships with Francophone countries. Speaking to journalists, Jonathan offered a unique perspective on the events, describing the incident not as a conventional coup but as a "ceremonial coup." He highlighted the unusual circumstances where President Embaló, while claiming to be arrested, was freely communicating with media organizations globally, which he found "strange" and inconsistent with typical coup scenarios.

Jonathan, whose long-standing engagement with Guinea-Bissau's political stabilization dates back to his time as Nigeria's president and ECOWAS chairman, voiced deep concern over the disruption. He emphatically stated that the election was "peaceful, well conducted and properly supervised," with results from all nine regions collated and ready for declaration when Embaló made his coup announcement. Jonathan urged ECOWAS and the AU to uphold democratic integrity by publishing these results. He also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Fernando Dias, the opposition candidate, who he stressed had "not committed any offence." He further criticized President Embaló, a former ECOWAS chair, for his purported role in an event that undermined the democratic process.

In response to the crisis, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) swiftly condemned the coup d’état and suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies. This resolution followed an Extraordinary Virtual Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the level of Heads of State and Government, chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio. The high-level meeting involved regional presidents, foreign ministers, and representatives from the AU and the United Nations. ECOWAS demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order, threatened sanctions against the junta regime, and rejected any arrangements that perpetuated the illegal abortion of the democratic process.

As part of its efforts, ECOWAS mandated its Chairperson, Julius Maada Bio, to lead a High-Level Mediation Mission to Bissau, comprising Presidents Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, José Maria Pereira Neves of Cabo Verde, and Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, accompanied by the ECOWAS Commission President. The MSC held the coup leaders "individually and collectively" responsible for the safety and property of all citizens and detainees, calling on the army to return to barracks and maintain its constitutional role. They also instructed the ECOWAS Stabilisation and Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB) to continue protecting state institutions. A significant development in the unfolding crisis was the confirmation by President Bio that detained President Umaro Embaló Sissoco had been released and was currently in Senegal, with Bio looking forward to engaging with the military leadership.

However, the Nigerian government's handling of the situation faced criticism. Hon. Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante, a member of the House of Representatives, publicly questioned the "alarming silence" of the Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian Government regarding Jonathan's evacuation, noting that Côte d’Ivoire’s President had taken the lead. While the Nigerian government did issue a strong condemnation of the coup, the perceived delay in ensuring the safe return of a respected former leader sparked debate. Meanwhile, Ambassador Baba Kamara, Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, demonstrated exceptional commitment by refusing to leave Guinea-Bissau until all 135 medium- and short-term observers under his charge had safely departed, even declining a seat on Jonathan's special flight. He later oversaw the evacuation of all observers via a chartered ECOWAS flight.

Despite the military's attempt to install Gen. Horta N’Tam as a transitional president for one year, ECOWAS continues to monitor the situation closely, reaffirming its commitment to democratic principles. The bloc warned of deploying all available instruments under regional protocols and sanction frameworks, emphasizing that sanctions could be imposed on "all entities deemed culpable of disrupting the electoral and democratic process in Guinea-Bissau." ECOWAS remains fully seized of the situation, engaging regional and international partners to ensure the restoration of democracy without delay and that the true will of the Bissau-Guinean people is respected by declaring the election results.