Ten months after being ousted in a coup, Guinea-Bissau’s exiled former president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, told AFP on Monday that he plans to return to the country and run in the December 6 presidential election, which is intended to restore constitutional order.
Guinea-Bissau has been under military rule since November 26, the day before provisional results from the presidential and legislative elections were due to be announced. The military ousted Embalo and suspended the electoral process.
At the time, several observers suspected Embalo of having orchestrated the coup to halt an electoral process he appeared to be losing.
"I will be a candidate in the presidential election,” the ousted president, currently in exile in Morocco, told AFP. He also pledged to return "home,” without specifying when.
In recent days, supporters of Embalo’s party have said on social media that he is expected to return on October 4.
AFP said it was unable to confirm that date with Embalo himself.