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A delegation from the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS arrived in Guinea-Bissau on Monday for mediation talks with the leaders of a coup over the “complete restoration of constitutional order”.
The ECOWAS mission, led by its chairman and the President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, arrived as the military government — which seized power last Wednesday — banned all demonstrations, strikes and activities regarded as threat to peace and stability.
In a statement late Sunday, the military authorities also ordered public institutions and ministries to reopen.
Soldiers seized power in the West African nation three days after a closely contested presidential election which the two main contenders claim to have won.
During the coup Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló told French media by phone that he had been deposed and arrested. Embalo has since fled to the Republic of Congo’s capital Brazzaville.
Guinea-Bissau’s military has installed former army chief of staff Gen. Horta Inta-a as the head of the military government, which will oversee a one-year transition period. On Saturday Inta-a appointed a new 28-member government, most of whom are allies of the ousted president.
The day after the coup, ECOWAS said suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies “until the restoration of full and effective constitutional order in the country.” It said its mediation team would travel to Bissau to “engage the leaders of the coup with a view to ensuring the full restoration of constitutional order.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed grave concern over the events in Guinea-Bissau and condemned the coup. In a statement, Guterres stressed that disregarding “the will of the people who peacefully cast their vote during the Nov. 23 general elections constitutes an unacceptable violation of democratic principles.”
He called for the “immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order,” as well as the release of all detained officials, including electoral authorities, opposition leaders and other political actors.
Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been dogged by coups and attempted coups since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago, including a coup attempt in October. The country of 2.2 million people is known as a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a trend that experts say has fueled its political crises.
Widely seen as West Africa’s leading political and regional authority, the 15-nation ECOWAS was formed in 1975 to promote economic integration in member states. The bloc often collaborates with members’ governments to solve domestic challenges on various fronts from politics to economics and security. It has struggled in recent years to reverse coups in the region where citizens have complained of not benefiting from rich natural resources.
