The army in Guinea Bissau has revealed that it has thwarted a plot to destabilise the government, arresting several senior military officers just one day before the official start of campaigning for national elections.
The alleged coup attempt, announced at a press conference on Friday, has raised fears of fresh instability in a country with a long history of military takeovers.
Army deputy chief of staff, General Mamadu Ture, told reporters that the action was “aimed to disrupt the electoral process.” He stated that those arrested were accused of “attempting to subvert the country’s constitutional order,” but declined to give specific details about the plot or reveal the exact number of officers detained.
However, sources within the military confirmed to news agencies that among those in custody is Brigadier General Daba Nawalna, the head of a key military training centre located approximately 30 kilometres from the capital, Bissau.
The arrests came at a critically sensitive moment for the small West African nation. The official campaign period for both legislative and presidential elections is scheduled to begin today, Saturday.
President Umaro Embaló, who is seeking re-election, had issued a stern warning just a day before the army’s announcement. After a cabinet meeting on Thursday, he told journalists that his administration would “not tolerate any disturbances” during the campaign.
“No disorder will be tolerated,” President Embaló said. “The government has taken all necessary measures to ensure the safety of each candidate during this campaign.”
The upcoming polls were already facing scrutiny following the disqualification of the country’s main opposition party, a move that had led critics to suggest the electoral field was being tilted in the incumbent’s favour. This foiled coup plot now adds a further layer of tension and uncertainty to the process.
Guinea Bissau has experienced profound political instability since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. No sitting president has successfully completed a full five-year term in nearly three decades. The nation has witnessed more than ten coup attempts, with the military maintaining a powerful and often decisive influence over political affairs.
The most recent major incident occurred in 2022, when an attack on the government palace, described by President Embaló as an attempted coup, resulted in several deaths.
Despite this turbulent past, the country had been working to consolidate its fragile democracy since the 2014 presidential election. This latest threat to its constitutional order is a significant setback to those efforts.
Regional Context of Coups
The situation in Guinea-Bissau reflects a broader pattern of democratic regression across West Africa. Since 2020, there has been a resurgence of military takeovers in the region, with elected governments being overthrown in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger.
These events have heightened concerns among international bodies and regional blocs, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has struggled to stem the tide of coups.
While Guinea Bissau has been relatively calm in recent years compared to its neighbours, it remains one of the region’s most politically volatile states. The foiling of this alleged plot underscores the persistent threat that the military poses to civilian rule, not just in Guinea Bissau, but across a troubled region.
For now, the government insists that the electoral process will continue as planned.
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