Guinea-Bissau’s main opposition parties have called for dialogue with the military authorities who seized power in November, as pressure grows for a negotiated path back to constitutional rule after months of political uncertainty. The appeal comes as the country remains under the control of the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order, the junta that ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on November 26, suspended the electoral process and installed a transition leadership.
Opposition figures aligned with the country’s largest political coalition, led by former prime minister Domingos Simões Pereira, are now trying to open channels of communication with the military leadership, arguing that dialogue may be the only viable way to ease tensions and prevent a deeper constitutional breakdown. Africanews reported that the push for talks follows weeks of uncertainty over the shape of a possible transition and the future of the country’s delayed democratic process.
The latest outreach also follows a recent offer by the junta to include opposition politicians in a transitional government. That proposal was rejected by key opposition leaders, who said the offer was largely symbolic and failed to address the broader political crisis created by the coup and the suspension of the electoral calendar. Reuters reported in February that the junta had sought to bring the PAIGC, the historic party associated with Pereira, into government as part of an effort to ease regional pressure.
Regional actors, especially the Economic Community of West African States, have repeatedly demanded restraint and a swift return to civilian rule. At its December summit, ECOWAS rejected the military’s transition plan, called for the release of political detainees and warned that sanctions could follow if the junta obstructed a short, inclusive return to constitutional order.
Guinea-Bissau, long prone to coups and political upheaval, has entered one of its most volatile periods in recent years. With opposition leaders now seeking negotiation rather than confrontation, attention is turning to whether the junta will accept meaningful talks or press ahead with a transition process that regional bodies have already challenged
