List of presidents of Guinea-Bissau: Difference between revisions

This article lists the presidents of Guinea-Bissau, since the establishment of the office of president in 1973.

Since Guinea-Bissau‘s unilateral declaration of independence from Portugal on 24 September 1973, there have been six presidents, five acting presidents and three interim military leaders. The presidency has been vacant since the previous officeholder, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, was deposed on 26 November 2025 during a coup d’état.^[2]

Term limits

As of 2021, there is a two-term limit for the president in the Constitution of Guinea-Bissau. The term limit has not been met by any president yet.^[3]

List of officeholders

Political parties

Other affiliations

Symbols

  Denotes acting president

Symbols

^† Died in office

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party
				Took office	Left office	Tenure
1		Luís Cabral (1931–2009) Chairman of the Council of State[a]	1976–77	24 September 1973	14 November 1980 (Deposed in a coup)	7 years, 51 days	PAIGC
2		João Bernardo Vieira (1939–2009) Chairman of the Council of the Revolution	—	14 November 1980	14 May 1984	3 years, 182 days	Military / PAIGC
—		Carmen Pereira (1937–2016) Acting president	—	14 May 1984	16 May 1984	2 days	PAIGC
(2)		João Bernardo Vieira (1939–2009) Chairman of the Council of the Revolution	1984 1989 1994	16 May 1984	7 May 1999 (Deposed in a coup)	14 years, 356 days	PAIGC
		President of the Republic from 29 September 1994
—		Brigadier general Ansumane Mané (c. 1940–2000) Chairman of the Supreme Command of the Military Junta	—	7 May 1999	14 May 1999	7 days	Military
—		Malam Bacai Sanhá (1947–2012) Acting president	—	14 May 1999	17 February 2000	279 days	PAIGC
3		Kumba Ialá (1953–2014)	1999–2000	17 February 2000	14 September 2003 (Deposed in a coup)	3 years, 209 days	PRS
—		General Veríssimo Correia Seabra (1947–2004) Chairman of the Military Committee for the Restoration of Constitutional and Democratic Order	—	14 September 2003	28 September 2003	14 days	Military
—		Henrique Rosa (1946–2013) Acting president	—	28 September 2003	1 October 2005	2 years, 3 days	Independent
(2)		João Bernardo Vieira (1939–2009)	2005	1 October 2005	2 March 2009 (Assassinated)	3 years, 152 days	Independent
—		Raimundo Pereira (born 1955) Acting president	—	3 March 2009	8 September 2009	189 days	PAIGC
4		Malam Bacai Sanhá (1947–2012)	2009	8 September 2009	9 January 2012[†]	2 years, 123 days	PAIGC
—		Raimundo Pereira (born 1955) Acting president	—	9 January 2012	12 April 2012 (Deposed in a coup)	94 days	PAIGC
—		Major general Mamadu Ture Kuruma (born 1947) Chairman of the Military Command	—	12 April 2012	11 May 2012	29 days	Military
—		Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo (1958–2020) Acting president	—	11 May 2012	23 June 2014	2 years, 43 days	Independent
5		José Mário Vaz (born 1957)	2014	23 June 2014	27 February 2020	5 years, 249 days	PAIGC
6		Umaro Sissoco Embaló (born 1972)	2019	27 February 2020	26 November 2025 (Deposed in a coup)	5 years, 272 days	Madem G15
—		Brigadier general Dinis Incanha Spokesperson of the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order[4]	—	26 November 2025	Incumbent	1 day	Military

Notes

Timeline

Latest election

See also

References

External links