Umaro Sissoco Embaló

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In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Sissoco and the second or paternal family name is Embaló.
Umaro Sissoco Embaló
Umaro Sissoco Embaló (51315757792).jpg
6th President of Guinea-Bissau
Assumed office
27 February 2020
Prime MinisterNuno Gomes Nabiam
Preceded byJosé Mário Vaz
18th Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau
In office
18 November 2016 – 16 January 2018
PresidentJosé Mário Vaz
Preceded byBaciro Djá
Succeeded byArtur Silva
Personal details
Born (1972-09-23) 23 September 1972 (age 49)
Bissau, Portuguese Guinea
Political partyMadem G15
Spouse(s)
Alma materTechnical University of Lisbon
Complutense University
Military service
Allegiance Guinea-Bissau
Rank12. Guinea-Bissau BG.svg Brigadier general

Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló (born 23 September 1972) is the president of Guinea-Bissau.[1] He is a political scientist and military officer who previously served as prime minister between 18 November 2016 and 16 January 2018.[2]

Life[]

Born in Bissau, Embaló holds a degree in International Relations from the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences at the Technical University of Lisbon, as well as both a master's degree in Political Science and a Doctorate in International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid. He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, and competent in English, French, Arabic and Swahili.[3]

He served in the military, undertaking National Defense Studies at the National Defense Center of Spain, and underwent further studies on National Security in Brussels, Tel Aviv, Johannesburg, Japan and Paris. He rose to the rank of Brigadier-General.[3]

Before his political career, he academically specialised in African and Middle-Eastern affairs and in matters of defence, international co-operation and development. He is a former Minister of African Affairs.

Prime Ministership[]

He formed his cabinet on 13 December 2016 after having been appointed Prime Minister by President José Mário Vaz on 18 November 2016.[4]

However, Embaló took the post while under a boycott of his own party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which through its Central Committee gave him a vote of distrust of one hundred and twelve votes in favor and eleven against on November 26, 2016.[5]

As head of government, he could only count on the support of the Social Renovation Party, which had the second largest number of seats in the National People's Congress of Guinea-Bissau.[6]

On 13 January 2018, after disagreements with President José Mário Vaz, he was replaced according to the demands of João Fadiá (Minister of Finance) and Botche Candé (Minister of the Interior),[clarification needed][7] Embaló requested his resignation from the position, effective on 16 January 2018.[6]

2019 presidential elections[]

Embaló ran for president in 2019, running as the candidate of Madem G15. He finished in second place, with 27% of the vote, in the first round of voting.[8] According to the preliminary and final results published by the national commission of elections, he won the runoff vote against another ex-Prime Minister, Domingos Simões Pereira, 54% to 46%. However, the final results continue to be disputed by his opponent Domingos Simões Pereira.[9] Although neither the supreme court of Guinea-Bissau nor the parliament had given its approval for the official swearing-in ceremony, Sissoco Embaló had organized an alternative swearing-in ceremony in a hotel in Bissau to announce himself as legal president of Guinea-Bissau.[10] Several politicians in Guinea-Bissau, including Prime Minister Aristides Gomes, accused Sissoco Embaló of arranging a coup d'état, although outgoing president Mário Vaz stepped down to allow Embaló to take power.[11]

Presidency[]

Sissoco Embaló has stated that his governing style is that of "Embaloïsm", which he defines as "order, discipline, and development," asserting that "there is neither small state nor small president" and comparing himself to Lee Kuan Yew and Rodrigo Duterte.[12][13] As part of an anti-corruption drive, he ordered the installation of CCTV surveillance cameras across the country and the arrest of Minister of Public Health  on embezzlement charges in 2021.

In 2020, his presidency saw the retreat of Economic Community of West African States troops stationed in the country after the 2012 coup and attempts to arrange official visits from foreign heads of government, including the first visit from the Portuguese government in three decades, and international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund.[14][15] His first official visit as head of state was a multi-country tour of Senegal, Niger, and Nigeria in March 2020.[16]

References[]

  1. ^ "Umaro Sissoco Embalo swears himself in as Guinea-Bissau president". BusinessDay. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Guinea-Bissau names new prime minister, fifth in nine months - Africa - DW - 19.11.2016". DW.COM.
  3. ^ a b "Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo". Archived from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  4. ^ Foundation, Thomson Reuters. "Guinea Bissau prime minister names cabinet amid political crisis".
  5. ^ "Guinea Bissau's dominant party to boycott new government". Business Insider. Reuters. 28 November 2016.
  6. ^ a b Agência Lusa (16 January 2018). "Umaro Sissoco Embaló deixa Governo da Guiné-Bissau". Deutsche Welle.
  7. ^ Agência Lusa (13 January 2018). "Guiné-Bissau: Presidente analisa pedido de demissão do primeiro-ministro". Deutsche Welle.
  8. ^ "CNE - RESULTADOS PROVISÓRIOS PRESIDENCIAIS 2019". CNE.gw (in Portuguese).
  9. ^ "Guinea-Bissau ex-PM Embalo declared winner of runoff". AfricaNews. February 5, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  10. ^ Agency Staff (February 27, 2020). "Umaro Sissoco Embalo swears himself in as Guinea-Bissau president". BusinessDay. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  11. ^ Darame, Braima; Lusa, Agência (February 27, 2020). "Em meio a contencioso judicial, Sissoco toma "posse simbólica" como Presidente da Guiné-Bissau". DW (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  12. ^ "En Guinée-Bissau, la croisade du président Umaro Sissoco Embalo contre la drogue et la corruption". Le Monde.fr. 2 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Umaro Sissoco Embaló, le président iconoclaste". 10 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Guinea-Bissau wants Portugal as a privileged cooperation partner". 10 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Guinée-Bissau : Les ambitions africaines d'Umaro Sissoco Embaló". 19 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Guinée-Bissau: Umaro Sissoco Embalo entame au Sénégal sa tournée des pays amis". 11 March 2020.
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Guinea-Bissau
2020–present 		Incumbent
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