Guinea-Bissau’s Embalo Names New Cabinet Amid Political Crisis
Guinea-Bissau’s Embalo Names New Cabinet Amid Political Crisis
Guinea-Bissau’s Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the winner of the December presidential election, appointed a new cabinet even as the current Prime Minister Aristides Gomes has yet to resign.
Embalo named Joao Fadia as finance minister days after outgoing President Jose Mario Vaz handed over power following weeks of political turmoil in the West African nation. The PAIGC party, whose candidate lost a run-off vote to Embalo but has a majority in parliament, is demanding a recount and has rejected his swearing-in at a hotel last week.
Embalo appointed Nono Gomes Nabiam as his prime minister on Feb. 29.
The political feud is threatening more turmoil in one of the world’s poorest countries, which has previously been a haven for gangs smuggling cocaine from South America into Europe. The tiny coastal nation has seen at least nine coups or coup attempts since independence from Portugal in 1974.
The Economic Community of West African States said in a statement having two prime ministers makes it difficult to find a solution to the crisis and called for all parties to “end all actions that would equal anarchy.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Katarina Hoije in Abidjan at khoije@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net, Paul Richardson
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