ECOWAS has suspended Guinea-Bissau from the regional bloc following a military coup that halted the country’s electoral process.

The decision was announced after an emergency virtual summit of West African leaders. Military officers had taken control, suspended the elections, and detained President Umaro Embaló along with key officials.

The coup happened as the country awaited official election results and weeks after the government claimed it foiled an earlier coup attempt. Observation teams from the AU, ECOWAS, and the West African Elders Forum condemned the takeover.

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In its statement, ECOWAS demanded the immediate release of the president and other detained officials and said Guinea-Bissau would remain suspended until constitutional order is restored.

The bloc also set up a mediation team led by the presidents of Togo, Cabo Verde, and Senegal to engage the coup leaders. ECOWAS urged the country’s armed forces to return to their constitutional duties.

Source: TheCable