Dakar is taking decisive diplomatic action. Empowered by West African leaders to resolve Guinea-Bissau’s institutional deadlock, Senegal dispatched its top officials to Bissau on Thursday. The high-stakes meeting aims to establish structured dialogue with the military leadership and chart a path toward restoring civilian governance.

This marks the first official mission since the ECOWAS summit. During the regional gathering held in Freetown last July, the Economic Community of West African States formally entrusted Senegal with spearheading the negotiations. The delegation, led by Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang and Defense Minister Yankoba Diémé, met with Guinea-Bissau’s de facto leader, General Horta Ntam, who currently heads the transitional government.

During the presidential audience, Foreign Minister Niang unveiled the framework of the West African initiative—a carefully designed roadmap to “support the return to constitutional order and the electoral process.” The two parties agreed to maintain close consultations to finalize the official launch of negotiations in the coming weeks.

Guinea-Bissau’s political landscape has been paralyzed since the November 26, 2025 military coup, which abruptly ended President Umaro Sissoco Embalo’s term and suspended all ongoing electoral procedures. To break the institutional freeze, the junta has prioritized legal preparations for a landmark vote. A referendum on constitutional reforms is scheduled for August 30, 2026—posing the first tangible step in a timeline closely monitored by the international community.