A delegation from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS has departed Guinea-Bissau, citing threats of expulsion from the country’s president.

The team was deployed to the country last month to assist in building a “political consensus” on organizing this year’s elections.

The mission stated that it had “prepared a draft agreement on a roadmap for elections” and had begun presenting it to key stakeholders for their approval.

However, the team chose to leave the country early on Saturday morning following a threat from President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

ECOWAS says it will now submit its report to the bloc’s leadership, including a proposal aimed at ensuring “inclusive and peaceful elections.”

President Embaló has not responded to the accusation.

Tensions have been rising in Guinea-Bissau over the official end of his five-year mandate. The opposition claims his term expired last week, while the Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that it ends on September 4.

A new round of general elections was due to take place last November, but Embalo postponed them and has since announced they will take place on the 30 November this year.

The opposition has opposed the delay.

Guinea-Bissau has experienced several military coups since independence in 1974, and there have been two attempts to overthrow Embalo, the latest in December 2023.

This led him to dissolve the opposition-dominated parliament.

The opposition last Thursday called for a nationwide strike, on the day they said the president’s term was expiring, with the government deploying security forces across the capital.

Embaló traveled to Moscow the day before, where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reportedly to discuss strengthening cooperation between the two nations.