By: Abdoulie John
In a dramatic, hastily arranged departure, deposed Guinea-Bissau president Umaro Sissoco Embaló left Dakar late Friday aboard a special flight bound for Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, accompanied by eight people believed to be family members and personal bodyguards.
Sources close to diplomatic circles in Dakar confirmed to The Alkamba Times that Embaló’s abrupt exit came hours after Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko publicly condemned the 2022 coup that brought Embaló to power, calling it a “rip-off” during a fiery parliamentary session.
“It is urgent for the electoral process to resume in Guinea-Bissau,” Sonko declared to loud applause. He demanded the immediate release of opposition leader Domingo Simões Pereira, who remains detained by the military and was barred from contesting elections under Embaló’s regime.
The prime minister’s remarks appeared to be the final straw for Embaló, who had been living in Senegal since being forced from office a few days ago. Diplomatic sources say Senegalese authorities quietly facilitated his departure to avoid further tensions.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Guinea-Bissau nationals living in Senegal staged angry protests outside Embaló’s residence in Dakar on Friday morning, chanting for President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to expel the former strongman.
“He cannot enjoy a golden exile in Dakar after creating chaos in Bissau,” one protester told Seneweb. “He must return home to face justice.”
Embaló’s relocation to Brazzaville marks the latest chapter in the turbulent aftermath of Guinea-Bissau’s political crisis, leaving uncertainty over whether Congo-Brazzaville will grant him long-term asylum.
