We, the Heads of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM), and the West African Elders Forum note the orderly and peaceful conclusion of the voting process for the presidential and legislative elections held on 23 November 2025 in the Republic of Guinea- Bissau.

Despite these encouraging developments, we express deep concern with the announcement of a coup d'etat by the armed forces, while the nation was waiting for the announcement of the results. It's regrettable that this announcement came at a time when the missions had just concluded meeting with the two leading presidential candidates, who assured us of their willingness to accept the will of the people.

We deplore this blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process and the gains that have been achieved thus far. We request the African Union and the ECOWAS to take the necessary steps to restore constitutional order.

We express concern of the arrests of top officials including those that are in charge of the electoral process. In this regard, we urge the armed forces to immediately release the detained officials to allow the country's electoral process to proceed to its conclusion.

We call on the people of Guinea Bissau to remain calm, and we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the Country on its democratic path, and in this respect, we underscore the importance of preserving peace, stability, and the well-being of the Bissau-Guinean people during this sensiñve period.

Done in Bissau, on 26 November 2025

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