Guinea-Bissau’s opposition slams president Sissoco for exhibiting ‘dictatorial behavior’

Opposition members in Guinea-Bissau have accused the West African head of state of plotting to establish a dictatorship, claiming that the incumbent, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, is bringing, step by step, the country’s most important powers under his control.
Since elected president of Guinea-Bissau three years ago, Sissoco, as he is popularly known, has systematically clashed with political opponents, parliament and other state institutions, plunging the West African country into a grave political crisis. At first, he responded to a failed coup attempt in 2022 with a wave of arrests of key opposition figures, later he dissolved the country’s parliament and dismissed the elected government following clashes between members of the National Guard and special forces of the presidential guard in December 2023. But at the same time, Sissoco is trying to polish his image on the international stage, including as a chairman of the West African bloc ECOWAS in 2022, for which he received much praise and respect from heads of state of powerful countries.
But the actions on the domestic political front by the 51-year-old former Brigadier General are seen by many citizens as jeopardizing freedom and democracy that raise widespread concerns that Guinea-Bissau heading towards dictatorship. But only few dare to openly criticize the president, one of them being former Minister of Justice, Carmelita Pires, who speaks out without reservation. “Sissoco disregards all principles of our rule of law by consolidating all powers,” Pires said, suggesting the president clearly exhibits “dictatorial behavior.” But Sissoco rejected these concerns, saying that “this is typical for Africa: If someone, like me, ensures order and discipline, he is immediately called a dictator.” In a video message he spread via Facebook in late 2023, he also asserted that “I am nothing like a dictator! I am a man of the people!”