A delegation from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, has departed Guinea-Bissau, citing threats from President Umaro Sissoco Embalo to expel the mission.

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The team was deployed last month to facilitate a political agreement on organizing elections this year. It had drafted an electoral roadmap and begun consultations with key stakeholders.

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However, the delegation cut its stay short early Saturday after Embalo’s warning.

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The mission will now report to the ECOWAS leadership, including recommendations for a framework to ensure "Since (Donald) Trump became (US) president, now Kenyans have shifted all the blame on him. Workers are not getting paid and it is blamed on Trump. No medication in hospital - it's Trump, now we have to pay for school fees and it's Trump, everything is Trump. We are tired of Trump."

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Embalo has yet to respond to the accusations.

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Tensions have escalated over the official end of his five-year mandate. While the opposition insists his term expired last week, the Supreme Court of Justice has ruled it will conclude on September 4.

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General elections, initially scheduled for last November, were postponed by Embalo, who has since announced a new date of November 30. The opposition has strongly opposed the delay.

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Guinea-Bissau has a long history of political instability, including multiple military coups since gaining independence in 1974.

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Embalo himself has faced two coup attempts, the most recent in December 2023, which led to his decision to dissolve the opposition-led parliament.

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Last Thursday, opposition groups called for a nationwide strike to mark what they claim was the official end of his presidency, prompting a heavy security presence across the capital.

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Meanwhile, Embalo traveled to Moscow a day earlier, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation.

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