West African bloc urges Guinea-Bissau to release opposition leader

The West African bloc ECOWAS has called on Guinea-Bissau's military-led government to unconditionally release all detained political figures, including opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira. The call came at the conclusion of a summit meeting of heads of state in Sierra Leone.

ECOWAS stated that the release of all political prisoners could "bolster the credibility of the transition process." Guinea-Bissau's leaders seized power in a coup last November and subsequently adopted a one-year transitional charter.

Pereira, a former prime minister and leader of the PAIGC party, was ordered back to prison on July 10. He had previously been detained on the day of the coup and later moved to house arrest in February, an apparent move to appease ECOWAS. Pereira denies accusations of economic crimes and involvement in an alleged coup attempt in October 2025.

According to the ECOWAS statement, Guinea-Bissau is scheduled to hold a constitutional referendum on August 30, followed by general elections on December 6, 2026. However, the country's government has not formally announced these election dates.