People: Umaro Sissoco Embaló

Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló (born 23 September 1972) is a politician serving as the since February 2020. He is a and military officer who previously served as between November 2016 and January 2018.

Life #

Born in to a Muslim family, Embaló holds a degree in international relations from the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences at the , as well as both a Master's degree in political science and a doctorate in international relations from the . He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, and competent in English, French, Arabic and Swahili.

Embaló served in the army, undertaking National Defence Studies at the National Defence Centre of Spain, and underwent further studies on National Security in Belgium, Israel, South Africa, Japan, and France. He rose to the rank of brigadier-general. Before his political career, Embaló academically specialised in African and Middle-Eastern affairs and in matters of defence, international co-operation and development. He is a former Minister of African Affairs.

Premiership #

Embaló formed his cabinet on 13 December 2016 after having been appointed prime minister by President on 18 November 2016.

However, Embaló took the post while under the censure of his own party, the (PAIGC), which through its Central Committee gave him a vote of distrust of one hundred and twelve votes in favour and eleven against on 26 November 2016.

As head of government, he could only count on the support of the , which had the second largest number of seats in the National People's Congress of Guinea-Bissau.

On 13 January 2018, after disagreements with President José Mário Vaz, he was replaced according to the demands of João Fadiá (minister of finance) and Botche Candé (minister of the interior),^[] Embaló offered his resignation from the position, effective on 16 January 2018.

2019 presidential elections #

Embaló ran for president in , running as the candidate of . He finished in second place, with 27% of the vote, in the first round of voting. According to the preliminary and final results published by the national commission of elections, he won the runoff vote against another former prime minister, , 54% to 46%. However, the final results continue to be disputed by his opponent Domingos Simões Pereira. Although neither the supreme court of Guinea-Bissau nor the parliament had given its approval for the official swearing-in ceremony, Sissoco Embaló had organised an alternative swearing-in ceremony in a hotel in Bissau to announce himself as legal president of Guinea-Bissau. Several politicians in Guinea-Bissau, including Prime Minister , accused Sissoco Embaló of arranging a , although outgoing president Mário Vaz stepped down to allow Embaló to assume power.

Presidency #

Embaló with Brazilian President , 1 January 2023

Embaló with Israeli President in Jerusalem, Israel, 3 March 2024

Embaló with Russian President before the in Moscow, Russia, 9 May 2024

Sissoco Embaló has stated that his governing style is that of "Embaloism", which he defines as "order, discipline, and development", asserting that "there is neither small state nor small president" and comparing himself to and . As part of an anti-corruption drive, he ordered the installation of CCTV surveillance cameras across the country and the arrest of Minister of Public Health on embezzlement charges in 2021.

In 2020, his presidency saw the retreat of troops stationed in the country after the 2012 coup and attempts to arrange official visits from foreign heads of government, including the first visit from the Portuguese government in three decades, and international organisations such as the . His first official visit as head of state was a multi-country tour of Senegal, Niger, and Nigeria in March 2020.

A to oust Embaló was attempted on 1 February 2022. He said that "many" members of the security forces had been killed in a "failed attack against democracy."

In May 2022, Embaló dissolved Guinea-Bissau's parliament, citing "persistent and unresolvable differences" with parliament.

In July 2023, he attended the in Saint Petersburg and met with Russian President .

On 4 December 2023, Embaló dissolved parliament, citing allegations of an . Speaker accused Embaló of carrying out a .

On 3 March 2024, Embaló visited Jerusalem and expressed support for in the . He told Israeli President that "Guinea-Bissau and its people are at your side and ready to help you in any way possible."

On 11 September 2024, Embaló announced that he would not seek a second term in the upcoming scheduled for November 2025. At the same time, disputes arose over when his term as president would end, as opposition groups said his term expires on 27 February 2025, while the Supreme Court ruled that it expires on 4 September 2025. On 3 March, Embaló announced that he would run again for president in the November election.

Under Embaló's presidency, Guinea-Bissau hosted and mediated negotiations between the Senegalese government and the (MFDC) that led to the announcement of a new peace agreement in Bissau on 25 February 2025 to end the .