Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has made a significant move, dismissing Prime Minister Geraldo Martins just a week after reinstating him to the position.
Martins initially assumed the role of Prime Minister in August but faced a setback earlier this month when President Embaló dissolved the government following a thwarted coup attempt on December 1.
Surprisingly, the president reappointed Martins as Prime Minister last week. However, in a twist of events, a presidential decree issued on Wednesday introduced Rui Duarte de Barros as the replacement for Martins. Barros previously served as Guinea-Bissau’s transitional prime minister from 2012 to 2014.
Tensions escalated last month with clashes between two army factions in the capital, Bissau, occurring while President Embaló was attending the UN’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai. President Embaló vowed “serious consequences” for those behind the unrest, labeling it a foiled coup – the second such attempt against his leadership in less than two years.
