Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has announced that the country’s presidential election will take place on November 30. The announcement was made on Sunday.

The decision comes as ECOWAS and the United Nations have deployed a mission to facilitate consensus on the electoral calendar. The joint mission will remain in the country until February 28 and plans to engage with all stakeholders in the electoral process.

President Embaló has expressed his intention to remain in power until his successor is inaugurated, a stance that has drawn criticism from the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira. The opposition is demanding his departure by February 27, 2025, the anniversary of his inauguration.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ruled that his official mandate ends on September 4.