Guinea-Bissau has started voting for the presidential elections, with Umaro Sissoco Embalo seeking a new mandate

Guinea-Bissau began voting on Sunday for the presidential and parliamentary elections, in which the incumbent president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, is seeking a second term. These elections are taking place in a critical context for democracy in West Africa, where recent contested elections could encourage military regimes. Embalo, a former army general, is facing Fernando Dias da Costa, supported by former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, who was not accepted in the elections due to delays in submitting his candidacy. Almost half of the 2.2 million citizens of the country are registered to vote, and the elections are considered extremely controversial due to the exclusion of the main opposition party. Guinea-Bissau, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been affected by repeated coups and is a center for drug trafficking. The outcome of these elections is eagerly awaited by citizens, who desire peace and stability.