Since Guinea-Bissau declared independence from Portugal on September 24, 1973, the country has had six official presidents, five acting presidents, and three interim military leaders.
The current president is Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who took office on February 27, 2020, after winning the 2019 presidential election.
However, the country’s Constitution, updated in 2021, sets a two-term limit for the president, but no president has served two terms yet.
Guinea-Bissau has faced many leadership changes, with both civilian and military leaders holding power at different times since independence.
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Complete List Of Guinea-Bissau Presidents From 1973 Till Date
No. | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Luís Cabral | 24 September 1973 | 14 November 1980 (Deposed in a coup) | PAIGC |
2 | João Bernardo Vieira | 14 November 1980 | 14 May 1984 | Military / PAIGC |
— | Carmen Pereira | 14 May 1984 | 16 May 1984 | PAIGC |
3 | João Bernardo Vieira | 16 May 1984 | 7 May 1999 (Deposed in a coup) | PAIGC |
— | Ansumane Mané | 7 May 1999 | 14 May 1999 | Military |
— | Malam Bacai Sanhá | 14 May 1999 | 17 February 2000 | PAIGC |
4 | Kumba Ialá | 17 February 2000 | 14 September 2003 (Deposed in a coup) | PRS |
— | Veríssimo Correia Seabra | 14 September 2003 | 28 September 2003 | Military |
— | Henrique Rosa | 28 September 2003 | 1 October 2005 | Independent |
— | João Bernardo Vieira | 1 October 2005 | 2 March 2009 (Assassinated) | Independent |
— | Raimundo Pereira | 3 March 2009 | 8 September 2009 | PAIGC |
5 | Malam Bacai Sanhá | 8 September 2009 | 9 January 2012 | PAIGC |
— | Raimundo Pereira | 9 January 2012 | 12 April 2012 (Deposed in a coup) | PAIGC |
— | Mamadu Ture Kuruma | 12 April 2012 | 11 May 2012 | Military |
— | Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo | 11 May 2012 | 23 June 2014 | Independent |
6 | José Mário Vaz | 23 June 2014 | 27 February 2020 | PAIGC |
7 | Umaro Sissoco Embaló | 27 February 2020 | Incumbent | Madem G15 |
First President Of Guinea Bissau
Luis Severino de Almeida Cabral, born on April 10, 1933, in Bissau, was the first president of independent Guinea-Bissau.
His family came from Cape Verde, and he was of mixed African and European descent. Cabral started his early education in Cape Verde and later went back to Bissau for high school.
After finishing school, he trained in accounting and worked for a Portuguese company in Bissau. In 1956, Cabral co-founded the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) with his half-brother Amílcar Cabral and others.
Amílcar Cabral became the leader of the party and was known for his Pan-Africanist ideas. At first, the PAIGC used peaceful methods to fight Portuguese colonial rule.
However, after a tragic incident in 1959, where many workers were killed during a strike, the PAIGC decided to take up arms. In 1963, the party started a long guerrilla war against Portuguese forces.
After Amílcar Cabral was assassinated in 1973, the party’s leadership was shared between Luis Cabral and Aristides Pereira.
The PAIGC declared Guinea-Bissau’s independence on September 24, 1973, but Portugal only recognized it after its Carnation Revolution in 1974.
Luis Cabral officially became the president of Guinea-Bissau on September 10, 1974. His government adopted socialist policies to improve education and healthcare.
The country received support from the Soviet Union and other socialist nations. However, Cabral’s leadership was criticized for being authoritarian and maintaining a one-party system.
His presidency faced challenges due to stress between Cape Verdeans and mainland Guineans, leading to a coup in 1980.
João Bernardo “Nino” Vieira led the coup, accusing Cabral of misusing power. Cabral was arrested but later sent into exile in Cuba. After years in Cuba, Cabral moved to Portugal in 1984.
He stayed politically active but only returned to Guinea-Bissau after Vieira lost power in 1999. Cabral passed away in Portugal on May 30, 2009, after a long illness.
READ ALSO: Complete List Of Gambia Presidents From 1970 Till Date
Current President Of Guinea Bissau
Umaro Sissoco Embaló has been the President of Guinea-Bissau since February 27, 2020. His time as president has not been smooth though, as the country has faced serious political problems, like multiple coup attempts and frequent government changes.
Embaló was born on November 23, 1981, in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. He is both a military officer and a political scientist, who served as Prime Minister from November 2016 to January 2018.
He was initially a member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) but later joined the Movement for Democratic Alternation Group of 15 (Madem G15).
Embaló became president after winning the 2019 election, where he got 54% of the votes in a runoff against Domingos Simões Pereira.
However, his victory was surrounded by controversy, including allegations of electoral fraud and accusations of organizing a coup by holding an unofficial swearing-in ceremony.
His leadership has faced constant challenges, such as dissolving parliament twice due to disagreements with opposition parties.
In 2023, Embaló dissolved parliament again after refusing to appoint Pereira as Prime Minister, despite the PAIGC winning a majority in parliamentary elections.
In September 2024, Embaló announced that he would not run in the 2025 presidential elections, reportedly due to a request from his wife. His presidency has also faced allegations of involvement in drug trafficking, adding to his government’s troubles.
Recently, in December 2023, he replaced Prime Minister Geraldo Martins with Rui Duarte de Barros after just one week in office. On the international level, Embaló has supported Israel and served as Chairperson of ECOWAS since July 2022.
