Politics West African coastal country Guinea-Bissau votes
The West African coastal state of Guinea-Bissau, known as a cocaine transshipment center, is electing a president and a parliament. The incumbent Umaro Sissoco Embaló (53), who is running again, dissolved parliament almost two years ago after an outbreak of violence that he described as an attempted coup. The presidential election will also take place a year later than originally scheduled.
23.11.2025, 16:02
SDA
Embaló's term of office has been over for months - according to the opposition since February, according to the Supreme Court since September. The main opposition party, which has held the parliamentary majority for years, is excluded from the election. Instead, it is backing the independent candidate Fernando Dias, who is considered the most promising of Embaló's eleven rivals.
The election initially went off without incident on Sunday. According to eyewitnesses, a particularly large number of young people came to vote. If none of the candidates receive more than 50 percent of the vote, there will be a run-off. Results are expected within a few days.
Agriculture finances the citizens - cocaine economy finances the elites
Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world, with around 2.2 million inhabitants living in an area almost the size of Switzerland. Although the country on the Atlantic has natural resources such as gold, gas and bauxite, agriculture is the biggest source of foreign currency. The small tropical country has experienced several coups or attempted coups since its independence from Portugal in 1974. The military is heavily involved in politics.
The country also has a reputation for being a hub for cocaine smuggling between Latin America and Europe. The NGO Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime recently described the sector there as more profitable than ever before. "The cocaine economy is inextricably linked to the Machiavellian politics of the tiny West African state," the experts wrote in a recent report.
The 53-year-old former general Embaló, who was also prime minister from 2016 to 2018, won the presidential election at the end of 2019 with just under 54% of the vote. Critics accuse him of restricting opposition members, journalists and human rights activists. At the same time, political conditions are still considered freer than in several other democratically constituted states in the region.
