Guinea-bissau undergoes political upheaval: PM changes amid crisis

Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has taken decisive action in the political arena, dismissing Prime Minister Geraldo Martins just a week after reinstating him. Martins initially assumed the role in August but was ousted earlier this month when President Embaló dissolved the government following a thwarted coup attempt on December 1.

President Embaló, however, reappointed Martins to the position last week. In a surprising turn of events, a presidential decree issued on Wednesday revealed that Rui Duarte de Barros, who previously served as the transitional Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau from 2012 to 2014, would be the new appointee.

The recent clashes between two army factions in the capital, Bissau, during President Embaló's absence at the UN's COP28 climate conference in Dubai added another layer of complexity to the country's political landscape.

In a further move, President Embaló has formed a new government, assigning the fight against corruption to the head of the new team, Rui Duarte Barros. This development comes amid a crisis marked by the dissolution of the Assembly and clashes that President Embaló labeled a "coup attempt."

Speaking at the inauguration of the new Prime Minister, Embaló emphasized an unrelenting fight against corruption as a core task for the new government. He underscored that no one has the right to claim public assets for personal gain and stated that if any suspicions of corruption arise, individuals will be held accountable before the law.