Guinea-Bissau’s military junta announced Wednesday that legislative and presidential elections will be held on December 6, according to a decree by junta leader Gen. Horta Inta-a. The election announcement marks the beginning of a promised one-year transition to civilian rule following the military’s seizure of power in November.
The election timeline comes as Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, struggles with a persistent pattern of military coups and political instability. The announcement reflects a broader wave of military takeovers across West Africa over the past six years, with leaders in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Guinea all citing security threats or governance failures as justification for seizing power.
Elections announced for December 6
Guinea-Bissau’s military junta said elections will be held December 6, according to a presidential decree issued Wednesday by junta leader Gen. Horta Inta-a. The decree stated that conditions for free, fair and transparent elections had been met and that both legislative and presidential voting would take place.
The elections mark the start of a one-year transition to civilian rule after the military took power in November.
Guinea-Bissau’s recurring political instability
Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation of 2.2 million, has experienced repeated coups and attempted coups since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago. An attempted coup occurred just last October, three months before November’s successful military takeover.
The country ranks among the world’s poorest and is known as a major hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe. Experts have said this trafficking has fueled Guinea-Bissau’s political crises.
Gen. Inta-a, the former army chief of staff, will oversee the military government during the transition period.
A wave of military takeovers in West Africa
Guinea-Bissau’s military takeover is one of multiple coups that West Africa has experienced since 2020. In neighboring Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, military leaders came to power through similar coups, typically citing security threats from extremist armed groups as their justification.
In Guinea, Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya overthrew the president in 2021 on a pledge to rid the country of corruption. The repeated military interventions across the region have raised questions about the durability of civilian governance in West Africa.