In Conakry, Bissau-Guinean President Umaro Sissoco Embaló advocates rapprochement

The President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

Photo taken on October 15, 2021 © AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, set foot in Conakry, Guinea on Wednesday, October 20.

A visit that he had announced on RFI, in an interview broadcast Saturday, October 16, justifying it in a logic of rapprochement between neighbors, despite the sanctions taken by the ECOWAS after the coup d'état of September 5 against Alpha Condé.

Advertising

Read more

The red carpet and the honors upon his arrival in Conakry.

Umaro Sissoco Embaló was welcomed on Wednesday, October 20, by what he calls his “ 

 ”: the president of the Guinean transition, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.

opens a new chapter in relations between Conakry and Bissau.

Umaro Sissoco Embaló himself says: “ 

 The Bissau-Guinean had marked his opposition to the third term of his Guinean counterpart and supported his opponent, Cellou Dallein Diallo.

► To read also: Guest Africa-Umaro Sissoco Embaló: "Since I have been president, there is no more drug trafficking in Guinea-Bissau"

Previously, Umaro Sissoco Embaló had not digested the mediation of Alpha Condé in Guinea-Bissau in 2017 on behalf of ECOWAS.

He accuses him of having defended his opponent at the time.

Despite this, Umaro Sissoco Embaló assures that he is not happy about the coup.

He nevertheless claims to have been one of the first leaders to speak on the phone to

, assuring that he had sent him the message from the Congolese Denis Sassou-Nguesso, very concerned about the fate of his friend

, and offering to welcome him to Brazzaville.  

As for the

, which wants to see elections no later than the beginning of March in Guinea, Umaro Sissoco Embaló says he understands the sanctions, but sees nothing contradictory in working for reconciliation, after years of disagreement.

As part of a friendly and working visit, I arrived this 20 Oct in Conakry and welcomed by my counterpart, the president of the National Committee for Rally and Development, Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya and members of accredited diplomatic missions in Guinea.

pic.twitter.com/yPfJxa9Q7J

- Umaro Sissoco Embaló (@USEmbalo) October 20, 2021

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Guinea

• Guinea-Bissau

• Umaro Sissoco Embalo

• Mamady Doumbouya

• ECOWAS