The President of the Republic, by Presidential Decree No. 13/2026 of 9 February, appointed the Minister of Defence, Rear Admiral Donaciano da Costa Gomes, as Special Envoy of the President of the Republic for the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) Good Offices Mission to Guinea-Bissau, to take place between February 17^th and 21^st, 2026. 

The decision follows the First Extraordinary Conference of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP, held on December 16^th, 2025, at which the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste assumed the Pro Tempore Presidency of the organisation until 2027, following Guinea-Bissau’s suspension from all CPLP activities.

As stated in the Presidential Decree, the Mission is travelling to Guinea-Bissau “with the primary objective of mediating not only the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained in the wake of the November 26^th crisis, but also the urgent restoration of constitutional order as an indispensable condition for the restoration of peace and stability in the country.”

Under Article 87(b) of the Constitution of Timor-Leste, the President of the Republic appointed the Minister of Defence as his Special Envoy to represent the Timorese State at this high-level CPLP mission.

The delegation, comprising representatives from Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, plans to meet with Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the military high command, representatives of civil society, and other entities.

The mission is part of Timor-Leste’s responsibilities as it assumes the Pro Tempore Presidency of the CPLP for the period 2026-2027.