Guinea-Bissau president says ECOWAS mediation "no longer welcome"

Bissau [Guinea-Bissau], March 5: Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said on Tuesday that the mediation mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) "will no longer be welcome in Guinea-Bissau" unless the organization's envoys comply with the country's laws.
"The high-level mission recently sent by ECOWAS did not follow the rules, as it should have first presented its roadmap to me for review and approval before meeting with various political entities in the country," Embalo said in a press statement shortly after returning to Bissau from a European tour.
"Guinea-Bissau is not a banana republic," he stressed, adding that he had ordered the expulsion of the ECOWAS mission due to the behavior of its members.
The ECOWAS mediation mission stayed in Guinea-Bissau from Feb. 21 to 28, aiming to encourage political actors to resume dialogue and ensure a peaceful electoral process ahead of the legislative and presidential elections scheduled for Nov. 30, according to Embalo.
Source: Xinhua News Agency