On the grave political situation in Guinea-Bissau after the coup of 26 November

European Parliament resolution on the grave political situation in Guinea-Bissau after the coup of 26 November

(2025/3027(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas general elections were held in Guinea-Bissau on 23 November 2025; whereas the main opposition party, PAIGC, was barred from running;

B.whereas on 26 November 2025, a military group, led by General Horta N’Tam, seized power by force, illegally suspending the electoral process on the eve of the official announcement of the election results; whereas the ties between the coup leader and the incumbent, President Embaló, have raised serious allegations that the coup was orchestrated to pre-empt an electoral defeat;

C.whereas protesters have called on the authorities to publish the election results; whereas the military junta has imposed a severe crackdown on civil liberties, and human rights violations have been reported against protesters and journalists, with at least 18 people arbitrarily detained, among them government officers, magistrates and political opposition leaders;

D.whereas political opposition leaders were arrested on the day of the coup and have since been held incommunicado, without access to legal defence;

E.whereas presidential candidate Fernando Dias da Costa has taken refuge at the Nigerian embassy; whereas President Embaló was allowed to leave the country;

F.whereas Guinea-Bissau’s participation in the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the Economic Community of West African States has been suspended until constitutional order is restored;

1.Unequivocally condemns the military’s seizure of power on 26 November 2025 and the interruption to the electoral process; rejects the unconstitutional change of government, and calls for the immediate restoration of Guinea-Bissau’s constitutional order and electoral process;

2.Strongly condemns the disproportionate use of force by security forces against the population; calls on all parties to refrain from acts of violence; calls for an independent investigation into human rights violations, and for those responsible for the coup, and for human rights violations, to be held accountable;

3.Demands the immediate and unconditional release of political opposition leaders Domingos Simões Pereira, Octávio Lopes, Marciano Indi, Roberto Mbesba and all others arbitrarily detained;

4.Denounces the junta’s violent repression of activists, journalists, human rights defenders and civil society; calls for the lifting of all restrictions on independent media and an end to all forms of persecution of civil society;

5.Calls on Guinea-Bissau’s electoral commission to publish the verified electoral results without military or political interference;

6.Urges inclusive political dialogue among all key stakeholders, with the support of regional actors, to implement structural reforms for strengthening democracy and the rule of law;

7.Urges the EU to immediately review its agreements and funding, ensure that cooperation funds do not strengthen the junta and other authoritarian structures, and prioritise support for democratic civil society;

8.Calls on the Council to consider restrictive measures on those responsible for the coup and for widespread human rights violations;

9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the authorities of Guinea-Bissau, African regional organisations, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the United Nations.