The Chairperson of the African Union Commission,Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has unequivocally condemned the military coup happened in Guinea-Bissau led to an arrest of that country's president.
The military leaders arrested President Umaro Sissoco Umbaro along with senior officials and political leaders when the nation was waiting the announcement of electoral results.
“The Chairperson reiterates the African Union's zero tolerance for, and firm rejection of, any unconstitutional change of government, in accordance with Union's core normative instruments, including the Constitutive Act of the African Union (2000), the Lome Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (2000), the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007), and the Ezulwini Framework (2009),” said African Union Commission.
The Commission stated that the Chairperson takes note of the Joint Statement on the Post-Election Situation issued on 26 November 2025 by the Heads of the African Union Election Observation Mission, the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, and the West African Elders Forum.
The Commission mentioned that the Chairperson stresses the imperative of respecting the ongoing electoral process and upholding constitutional order, in line with the mandate of the National Electoral Commission(CNE), the sole institution legally empowered to proclaim official election results in the country.
The AU Commission chairperson demands an immediate and unconditional release of the President of Guinea-Bissau and officials, and maintained that the AU is ready to work with ECOWAS to restore order in that country.
"He calls for the immediate and unconditional release of President Embalo and all detained officials, and urges all parties to exercise the utmost restraint in order to prevent any further deterioration of the situation.
"He reaffirms the African Union's readiness, working in close coordination with ECOWAS and other key international partners, to support all efforts aimed in restoring stability and safeguarding democratic processes through dialogue and legally grounded mechanisms.
Finally, the Chairperson reiterates the African Union's steadfast support and solidarity with the people of Guinea-Bissau during this critical period, and its commitment to accompanying them on the path toward peace, stability, and democratic consolidation," the AU Commission statement concluded.