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Guinea-Bissau President Arrested as Military Seizes Control in Apparent Coup
Guinea-Bissau’s military announced Wednesday it had assumed “total control” of the West African nation,arresting President umaro Sissoco embalo,suspending the electoral process,and closing its borders just days after a contentious general election. the move, which follows a history of political instability and coup attempts in the country, has sparked international concern.
Heavy gunfire erupted near the president’s office at the presidential palace in Bissau, the capital, according to AFP journalists. Military vehicles, some carrying armed soldiers, were deployed throughout the city. “The presidential palace has been surrounded by soldiers,” a source close to the presidency told AFP. “president Embalo is in the hands of the military.”
In a televised address, General tagnamba N’Canha, a spokesperson for the military, announced the suspension of “all democratic institutions” and declared that the armed forces were “fulfilling their constitutional mission” to restore stability. He stated the decision was made “until further notice.” He delivered the proclamation while surrounded by armed troops.
According to a military source, President Embalo, widely expected to win reelection in Sunday’s polls, is currently being held at general-staff headquarters and is reportedly “being well-treated.” A senior officer confirmed the arrest, adding that the chief of staff and the minister of the interior were also detained.
The arrest extends to opposition figures as well. Domingos Simoes Pereira, barred from participating in the recent presidential election by the Supreme Court, was also taken into custody Wednesday, sources close to him confirmed. Pereira had endorsed opposition candidate Fernando Dias after being disqualified from the race,and both he and Embalo had prematurely declared victory,anticipating official results expected Thursday.
A history of Instability
Guinea-Bissau has endured a turbulent political landscape since gaining independence, experiencing four coups and numerous attempted coups. Political stability was a central issue during the recent election cycle, given the nation’s fraught past. In October, the army reported thwarting a plot to destabilize the constitutional order, resulting in the arrest of several high-ranking military officials.
General N’Canha claimed Wednesday that the military uncovered a plan to destabilize Guinea-Bissau involving “national drug lords” and the illicit introduction of weapons intended to disrupt the constitutional order. In addition to halting the electoral process, the military has suspended all media programming, closed all land, air, and sea borders, and imposed a mandatory curfew. By Wednesday’s end,the streets of Bissau were deserted,with the military firmly in control of major thoroughfares,as observed by AFP journalists.
Drug Trafficking and Regional Concerns
Guinea-Bissau is recognized as one of the world’s poorest nations and serves as a significant transit point for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a situation exacerbated by its ongoing political instability. The country’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) was also reportedly attacked Wednesday by unidentified armed individuals, according to commission communications official Abdourahmane Djalo.
International reaction has been swift. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed “deep concern” and urged all parties to “exercise restraint and respect the rule of law,” according to his spokesperson. Portugal, guinea-bissau’s former colonial power, has called for the resumption of the electoral process and discouraged any acts of violence.
More than 6,780 security personnel, including forces from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Stabilisation Force, were deployed for the election and subsequent period. Observation missions from the African Union, ECOWAS, and the West African elders Forum released a statement expressing “deep concern” over what they described as a “blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process.”
Guinea-Bissau’s 2019 presidential election was similarly marred by a four-month post-election crisis, with both Embalo and Pereira claiming victory. the PAIGC, the country’s main opposition party which led Guinea-Bissau to independence from portugal in 1974, was excluded from both the presidential and parliamentary elections this year after the Supreme Court deemed their applications filed too late.
In 2023, Embalo dissolved the legislature – which was dominated by the opposition – and has since governed by decree. The opposition argues that the PAIGC’s exclusion constitutes “manipulation” and maintains that Embalo’s term expired on February 27, five years after his inauguration. This latest coup adds to a growing trend of instability in West Africa, following similar government overthrows in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger
