Togo: Faure Gnassingbé appointed ECOWAS mediator for the crisis in Guinea-Bissau
Togo has assumed a key diplomatic role in the West African sub-region. The Chairman of the Authority, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, was appointed by the ECOWAS Council of Mediation and Security to lead a high-level mission to Guinea-Bissau aimed at defusing the political crisis that erupted on November 26, 2025. Accompanied by his counterparts José Maria Neves of Cape Verde and Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, along with ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray, he will steer efforts to restore constitutional order and foster a peaceful transition.
The situation in Guinea-Bissau deteriorated sharply on the eve of the release of provisional results from the November 23 presidential election. A group of officers announced a coup d’état, overthrowing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his government.
The putschists appointed General Horta Nta Na Man to lead a one-year transition, plunging the country into chronic instability marked by at least nine coups since 1974.
In immediate response, ECOWAS suspended Guinea-Bissau from its activities and demanded the return of armed forces to their barracks.
Faure Gnassingbé, who already serves as the African Union mediator in the DRC–Rwanda conflict, now takes on an additional strategic mission.
The high-level delegation will engage in direct dialogue with the coup leaders, negotiate the release of detainees, and urge the National Electoral Commission to publish election results without delay.
This initiative aligns with Togo’s proactive diplomatic tradition in regional crises, as seen in its engagements in Mali and Chad.
Togo, a small coastal nation, is establishing itself as a pivotal actor in West African stability.
Drawing on his experience, Faure Gnassingbé will advocate for ECOWAS priorities: respect for constitutional order, the apolitical role of the military, and the continuation of the electoral process.
Guinea-Bissau, vulnerable to drug trafficking due to its strategic location, cannot afford another spiral of violence.
This mission reflects the renewed commitment of ECOWAS to addressing security threats.
Success in the short term is crucial to prevent regional escalation and consolidate democracy in Guinea-Bissau.
Kodjovi Makafui
