ECOWAS mission to Bissau: Minister Cheikh Niang details discussions with military command

On an ECOWAS mission to Bissau, Saturday January 10, the President of the Republic of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, took part in high-level consultations with the Guinea-Bissau transitional authorities, alongside his Sierra Leonean counterpart Julius Maada Bio. The Senegalese Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Cheikh Niang, returned to the content of the exchanges with the military command.

Speaking to the Rts microphone, Cheikh Niang indicated that a long interview was held with the military high command, extended to certain members of the government. According to him, this meeting made it possible to review the current political situation in the country, marked by an institutional blockage since the coup d’état of November 26, 2025.
“The military command shared a document, a memorandum, on the actions that the Guinea-Bissau government intends to undertake to regain constitutional normality,” said the minister. This document, he added, will be subject to examination by the heads of state and government of ECOWAS.
Sheikh Niang, however, stressed that the 12-month transition announced by the authorities in place does not correspond to the transition initially planned by ECOWAS, given its design and conduct by the military. An observation which justifies, according to him, the establishment of a monitoring mechanism by the restricted mediation committee, of which Senegal is a member.
The minister also indicated that the ECOWAS delegation met several political actors detained or affected by the post-coup situation, in order to gather their opinions in favor of an open, inclusive and peaceful transition.
Through this mission, Cheikh Niang recalled Senegal’s position, committed to respecting the constitutional order and to the conduct of a credible, secure electoral process that complies with ECOWAS regional mechanisms.