Guinea-Bissau junta leader makes first foreign trip to Chad

Guinea-Bissau's junta leader General Horta N’Tam embarked on his first foreign trip on Monday, traveling to Chad for the 66th anniversary of the country's independence. This visit, which comes after more than eight months of diplomatic isolation, is believed to be an attempt to bolster N’Tam's legitimacy as Guinea-Bissau prepares to hold elections on December 6.

The junta leader's flight departed from Osvaldo Vieira International Airport around 9:30 GMT, but no details about his itinerary were provided. Chad's presidency stated that N’Tam was a guest of the Chadian president and attended military parades as part of the anniversary celebrations. Following a coup in late November that ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the junta appointed N’Tam, a close associate of the ousted leader, as the transitional leader.

Both the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and the African Union condemned the coup and suspended Guinea-Bissau from participation, while several countries, including Senegal and Guinea, also froze relations. Guinea-Bissau is scheduled to hold presidential and legislative elections, as well as a referendum on constitutional changes, on December 6, but the transitional charter bars N’Tam from running for election.