Guinea-Bissau junta has released the opposition leader and pledged to establish an inclusive government

The junta that took control in Guinea-Bissau during a coup in November has pledged to incorporate the revolutionary PAIGC party into the government and has freed its leader, former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, although he is still under house arrest.

The actions seem to be a clear effort to satisfy the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which has suspended Guinea-Bissau and called for a swift transition to civilian governance.

In Guinea-Bissau, army officers identifying as the Military High Command overthrew President Umaro Sissoco Embalo on November 26, subsequently appointing Major-General Horta Inta-a as the interim president the next day.

The coup, marking the ninth occurrence in West and Central Africa within five years, interrupted both presidential and legislative elections.

In a letter directed to ECOWAS and shared with journalists over the weekend, Inta-a revealed intentions to establish a “inclusive” transitional government that would assign three ministerial portfolios to the PAIGC, or the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde.

Inta-a stated that three portfolios would also be allocated to the Party for Social Renewal (PRS), led by Fernando Dias, who was regarded as the most formidable opponent to Embalo in the upcoming November election. He additionally stated that all political prisoners would be set free.

On Friday, the junta announced the release of Pereira from the PAIGC, who had been detained since the coup; however, he will remain under house arrest due to suspicions of economic crimes.

On Friday, sources close to the junta informed Reuters that Dias had departed from the Nigerian embassy, where he had sought refuge, and was no longer at risk of arrest.

Pereira and Dias were unavailable for comment.

Following the coup, ECOWAS urged the junta to reinstate constitutional order and to permit the electoral process to continue. However, the electoral commission stated that it could not finalize the vote due to armed individuals taking control of the ballots and damaging the servers that held the results.

Last month, a presidential decree announced that new presidential and legislative elections are set for December 6.