DAKAR, July 21 - The West African bloc ECOWAS urged Guinea-Bissau's military-led government to unconditionally release all detained political figures, including opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira, at the conclusion of a summit meeting of heads of state in Sierra Leone, a statement said.

• The release of all political prisoners could "bolster the credibility of the transition process," ECOWAS said in a statement released late on Monday. Guinea-Bissau's leaders took power in a coup last November and adopted a one-year transitional charter the following month.

• Pereira, a former prime minister and the leader of the revolutionary PAIGC party, was ordered back to prison on July 10, his family told Reuters last week. He was previously detained on the day of the coup last year but then moved to house arrest in February, in an apparent attempt to appease ECOWAS. Pereira has been accused of economic crimes and involvement in an alleged coup attempt in October 2025, which he denies.

• The West African country will hold a constitutional referendum on August 30, followed by general elections on December 6, 2026, according to the ECOWAS statement.

• Guinea-Bissau's government has not formally announced the election dates.

• A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about Pereira on Tuesday. REUTERS

West African bloc calls for Guinea-Bissau opposition leader's release