West Africa Says No to Guinea-Bissau's Military Takeover

In a strong move, West African leaders have turned down Guinea-Bissau's military plan. They want the country to go back to its normal government rules fast. If the military doesn't listen, there could be punishments. The military in Guinea-Bissau took control on November 26. They removed the president and put a general in charge. This is not good news. It's the ninth time in five years that something like this has happened in West and Central Africa. The area is already having a tough time with safety and political problems. At a big meeting in Abuja, leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) made some demands. They want all political prisoners freed. They also want a quick and fair transition back to democracy. ECOWAS thinks the elections held on November 23 were fair. They have no problem with those results. But they are not happy with the military takeover. They want to send a team to talk to the military leaders. If the military doesn't follow the demands, ECOWAS might punish those who are causing trouble. They also want other African countries and international friends to help them.