GUINEA-BISSAU’S President, Umaro Cissoko Embalo, has announced that he will not seek a second term in the upcoming November elections, a decision that has caught many by surprise and raised concerns over the potential for political instability in the country. Embalo, 51, who was elected in January 2020 with 54 percent of the vote, said he would not run again, despite being eligible for re-election.
His decision comes after consultations with his wife, who dissuaded him from pursuing another term. Embalo made the announcement at the conclusion of a council of ministers meeting on Thursday, without elaborating on who might succeed him. However, he hinted that his successor would not be the opposition leaders Domingos Simoes Pereira, Braima Camara, or Nuno Gomes Na Bian.
Embalo, a former army general and ex-prime minister under his predecessor José Mário Vaz, has navigated a turbulent presidency in a country that has experienced multiple coups and political unrest since its independence from Portugal in 1974. His term has been marked by two attempted coups, including one as recent as December 2023.
Following the latest coup attempt, Embalo dissolved parliament for the second time in his presidency. Legislative elections held after his first dissolution in May 2022 derailed his efforts to push through a constitutional reform that would have eliminated Guinea-Bissau’s semi-presidential system. This reform would have consolidated more power in the presidency, reducing the influence of the parliament, which currently appoints the government but can be dismissed by the president under certain conditions.
Guinea-Bissau, home to around two million people, has also struggled with becoming a hub for international cocaine trafficking in recent decades. On Saturday, authorities seized over two tons of cocaine from an aircraft arriving from Venezuela, highlighting the ongoing challenges the country faces beyond its political landscape.
Embalo’s decision not to seek a second term could create a power vacuum, raising concerns about future political stability in a nation with a history of coups and unrest.
