ADVERTISEMENT

Guinea-Bissau’s Prime Minister Resigns After 11 Days in Role

Guinea-Bissau’s Prime Minister Resigns After 11 Days in Role

(Bloomberg) -- Guinea-Bissau Prime Minister Faustino Imbali resigned amid pressure from West African states Friday, after being in the role for 11 days, according to a letter he sent to the president’s office.

Blaise Diplo-Djomand, a representative of the Economic Community of West African States known as ECOWAS, in an interview with Radio Francaise-Internationale on Nov. 6, had asked Imbali to step down within 48 hours to allow for presidential elections to take place on Nov. 24. Imbali was nominated to the post by President Jose Mario Vaz.

Two officials at the presidency confirmed receiving the resignation from the prime minister’s office as the West African bloc threatened Imbali and his government with sanctions if he didn’t resign immediately.

Imbali’s resignation followed an urgent summit of the heads of state from the regional bloc that took place Friday in Niamey, Niger, according to a statement from ECOWAS. The bloc, which has been trying to mediate an end to a political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, reiterated its support for former Prime Minister Aristides Gomes, who was ousted by Vaz less than two weeks ago.

The bloc repeated its view that Vaz’s naming of Imbali as prime minister on Oct. 29 was illegal and reiterated its support for Gomes.

Vaz, 60, has been embroiled in a power struggle with his ruling party since he came to office in 2014, firing six prime ministers and raising concerns that there may be an eruption of political violence. Back-to-back record cocaine seizures this year have raised fears that the tiny West African nation could again turn into a key transit point for drugs flowing into Europe.

--With assistance from Alonso Soto.

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, Jacqueline Mackenzie, James Amott

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.