CONGRATS TO GUINEA BISSAU'S NEW PRESIDENT EL MOCKTAR UMARO SISSACO EMBALO

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESIDENT EMBALO

Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló (born 23 September 1972) is the president-elect of Guinea-Bissau. He is a political scientist and military officer who previously served as prime minister between 18 November 2016 and 16 January 2018.

Life

Born in Bissau, Embaló holds a degree in International Relations from the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences at the Technical University of Lisbon, as well as both a master's degree in Political Science and a Doctorate in International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid. He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, and competent in English, French, Arabic and Swahili.

He served in the military, undertaking National Defense Studies at the National Defense Center of Spain, and underwent further studies on National Security in Brussels, Tel Aviv, Johannesburg, Japan and Paris. He rose to the rank of Brigadier-General.

He now specialises in African and Middle-Eastern affairs and in matters of defence, international co-operation and development. He is a former Minister of African Affairs.

He formed his cabinet on 13 December 2016 after having been appointed Prime Minister by President José Mário Vaz on 18 November 2016.

However, Embaló took the post while under a boycott of his own party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which through its Central Committee gave him a vote of distrust of one hundred and twelve votes in favor and eleven against on November 26, 2016.

As head of government, he could only count on the support of only the Social Renovation Party, the second largest seat of the National People's Congress of Guinea-Bissau.

On 13 January 2018, after disagreements with President José Mário Vaz, he was placed alongside the demands of João Fadiá (Minister of Finance) and Botche Candé (Minister of the Interior),Embaló requested his resignation of the position, effective on 16 January 2018

In 01.01.2020,Umaro Cissoko Embalo, a former prime minister, won the presidential election with 53.55 percent of votes, the National Electoral Commission (CNE) announced on Wednesday. His rival Domingos Simoes Pereira, head of the country's ruling PAIGC party, took 46.45 percent in Sunday's runoff."I declare Umaro Sissoco Embalo to be the winner of this second round," said CNE President Jose Pedro Sambu.

News Date: 22 / 01 / 2020
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