Guinea-Bissau has set presidential and legislative elections for December 6, 2026, via a presidential decree aimed at resuming a disrupted electoral process. The announcement follows a military takeover on November 26, a day before election results were due. The 'Military High Command' ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as interim leader; ECOWAS has condemned the coup. The electoral commission says ballot papers were seized and servers destroyed, preventing completion of the count.
Guinea-Bissau Sets Dec. 6, 2026 Election Date After November Coup
FILE PHOTO: From L-R, Guinea-Bissau's Prime Minister Ilidio Vieira Te, transitional president Major-General Horta Inta-a and Major-General Tomas Djassi, chief of staff of the Armed Forces, attend a press conference in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, December 19, 2025. REUTERS/Delcyo Sanca/File Photo
Guinea-Bissau has announced that presidential and legislative elections will be held on December 6, 2026, according to a presidential decree signed on Wednesday. The move aims to restore the electoral calendar after a military takeover late last year disrupted the vote-counting process.
Army officers seized power on November 26, one day before the electoral commission was due to announce results from a contested vote. The group identifying itself as the 'Military High Command' removed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as interim president the following day.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the takeover and urged the junta to restore order and allow the electoral process to proceed. Guinea-Bissau's electoral commission said it was unable to complete the count after armed men seized ballot papers and destroyed servers that stored the results.
What Lies Ahead: The December 6 date is intended to revive the paused electoral timetable, but major questions remain about security, the integrity of the vote and whether the international community will accept the timetable while the junta retains power.
Reporting by Alberto Dabo; Writing by Jessica Donati; Editing by Alex Richardson.
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