Umaro Sissoco Embaló facts for kids
Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló, born on September 23, 1972, is a politician from Guinea-Bissau. He has been the president of Guinea-Bissau since February 2020. Before becoming president, he worked as a political scientist and a military officer. He also served as the prime minister of Guinea-Bissau from November 2016 to January 2018.
Quick facts for kids
Umaro Sissoco Embaló
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Embaló in 2021
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| 6th President of Guinea-Bissau | |
| Assumed office 27 February 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Nuno Gomes Nabiam Geraldo Martins Rui Duarte de Barros |
| Preceded by | José Mário Vaz |
| 18th Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau | |
| In office 18 November 2016 – 16 January 2018 |
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| President | José Mário Vaz |
| Preceded by | Baciro Djá |
| Succeeded by | Artur Silva |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 September 1972 Bissau, Portuguese Guinea |
| Political party | Madem G15 |
| Spouse | Dinisia Reis Embaló |
| Alma mater | Technical University of Lisbon Complutense University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Guinea-Bissau |
| Rank |  General |
Contents
Early Life and Education
Umaro Sissoco Embaló was born in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, on September 23, 1972. He grew up in a Muslim family belonging to the Fulani ethnic group.
He studied international relations at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences in Lisbon, Portugal. He also earned a master's degree in political science and a doctorate in international relations from the Complutense University of Madrid in Spain.
Embaló is very good with languages. He speaks Portuguese and Spanish fluently. He can also speak English, French, Arabic, and Swahili.
Military Career and Expertise
Before becoming a politician, Embaló served in the army. He studied National Defence in Spain and continued his studies on national security in several other countries. These included Belgium, Israel, South Africa, Japan, and France.
He rose through the ranks in the military, eventually becoming a brigadier-general. This is a very high rank in the army. Embaló also focused his academic work on topics like African and Middle-Eastern affairs. He also studied defense, international cooperation, and development. He even served as a Minister of African Affairs.
Time as Prime Minister
Umaro Sissoco Embaló became the prime minister of Guinea-Bissau on November 18, 2016. He was chosen for this role by President José Mário Vaz. Embaló then formed his government cabinet on December 13, 2016.
However, his own political party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), did not fully support him. On November 26, 2016, the party's Central Committee voted that they did not trust him.
As prime minister, Embaló mainly had the support of the Social Renovation Party. This party had the second-highest number of seats in the country's parliament.
After some disagreements with President José Mário Vaz, Embaló decided to resign. He officially stepped down from his position on January 16, 2018.
Presidential Election in 2019
In 2019, Umaro Sissoco Embaló decided to run for president. He was the candidate for the Madem G15 party. In the first round of voting, he came in second place, getting 27% of the votes.
He then went into a second round of voting against another former prime minister, Domingos Simões Pereira. According to the election results, Embaló won this runoff vote with 54% of the votes, while Pereira received 46%.
However, the final results were still debated by his opponent. Even though the country's highest court and parliament had not officially approved his swearing-in, Embaló held his own ceremony in a hotel in Bissau. He announced himself as the legal president of Guinea-Bissau. Some politicians, including Prime Minister Aristides Gomes, said this was like a coup d'état. However, the outgoing president, Mário Vaz, stepped down, allowing Embaló to take power.
His Time as President
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President Embaló describes his way of leading the country as "Embaloism." He says this means "order, discipline, and development." He believes that "there is neither small state nor small president." He has even compared his leadership style to famous leaders like Lee Kuan Yew and Rodrigo Duterte.
As part of his efforts to fight corruption, he ordered the installation of CCTV cameras across the country. In 2021, he also ordered the arrest of the Minister of Public Health, Antonio Deuna, on charges of misusing public money.
In 2020, troops from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) left Guinea-Bissau. These troops had been in the country since a coup attempt in 2012. Embaló also worked to arrange official visits from leaders of other countries and international groups. This included the first visit from the Portuguese government in 30 years and visits from the International Monetary Fund. His first official trip as president was to Senegal, Niger, and Nigeria in March 2020.
On February 1, 2022, there was an attempt to remove Embaló from power. He stated that many members of the security forces were killed in this "failed attack against democracy."
In May 2022, Embaló dissolved Guinea-Bissau's parliament. He said this was because of "persistent and unresolvable differences" with the parliament.
In July 2023, he attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia. There, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On December 4, 2023, Embaló again dissolved parliament. He said this was due to claims of another attempted coup d'état. The Speaker of Parliament, Domingos Simões Pereira, accused Embaló of carrying out a "constitutional coup."
On March 3, 2024, Embaló visited Jerusalem and showed support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war. He told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Guinea-Bissau was ready to help in any way possible.
On September 11, 2024, Embaló announced that he would not seek a second term as president. The next presidential elections are planned for November 2025.
Awards and Recognition
Umaro Sissoco Embaló has received several honors from other countries:
Cape Verde:
- 1st Class of the Amílcar Cabral Order (July 10, 2021).
Djibouti:
- 1st Class of the Order of Grand Star of Djibouti (February 15, 2024).
East Timor
- Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste (November 28, 2023).
France:
- Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (December 10, 2024).
Jordan:
- Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (February 20, 2023).
Palestine:
- Grand Collar Order of the State of Palestine (March 6, 2024).
Portugal:
- Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (October 24, 2023).
Senegal:
- Grand Cross of the National Order of the Lion (May 31, 2022).
Images for kids
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See also
In Spanish: Umaro Sissoco Embaló para niños
