Guinea-Bissau’s president dissolves parliament after failed coup

Guinea-Bissau’s president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo has dissolved the nation’s opposition-controlled parliament after last week’s shootout between troops and forces which he described as a failed coup reports say.

This was made known on Monday, December 4, 2023, through a decree.

“The actions of members of the National Guard, faced with the Government’s passivity, constituted an attempt to subvert the constitutional order,” Embalo is reported by Reuters to have said.

He further stated that; “Faced with this attempted coup d’état…and the existence of strong evidence of political complicity, the normal functioning of the Republic’s institutions became unsustainable,”.

DW reported the president to have said that the new elections for the opposition-dominated body will be set “at the opportune moment, in line with the constitution,”.

Two people died after violence erupted between members of the National Guard and special forces of the Presidential Guard on Thursday, November 30.

Several dozen people are reported by Reuters to have gathered outside the national assembly to protest against the president’s decision, saying they were tired of voting for new lawmakers.

President Embalo is said to have dissolved parliament in May 2022, accusing deputies of corruption among other issues.