GuineaBissau was plunged into a deep political crisis on Wednesday as military forces detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in what he has described as a coup attempt, just days after a fiercely contested presidential election.
The President confirmed his own arrest in an interview with Jeune Afrique, stating he was detained at approximately 1 p.m. while inside his office at the presidential palace.
He alleged that the operation was led by the army chief of staff and noted that no force was used against him.
The detentions unfolded alongside scenes of unrest in the capital, Bissau.
Journalists and witnesses reported sustained gunfire near the headquarters of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), where vote counting from Sunday’s poll was underway. Reporters monitoring the process were forced to hide inside the building as shots rang out and panicked residents fled the area.
According to the President’s account, several high-ranking officials were also arrested, including the armed forces’ chief of staff, General Biaguê Na Ntan; the deputy chief of staff, General Mamadou Touré; and the interior minister, Botché Candé.
The crisis is a direct result of a disputed electoral process. Both President Embaló and his main opponent, Fernando Dias de Costa, have claimed victory, despite provisional official results not being expected until Thursday. Embaló had earlier declared a commanding lead of 65% of the vote based on his campaign’s own figures.
This incident highlights the deeper fractures within Guinea Bissau’s political system. The country has a long history of coups and military interference in governance. President Embaló’s tenure has been marked by confrontations with parliament, including his decision to dissolve it in 2022, and his efforts to consolidate power and restructure security institutions are believed to have fueled mistrust within the armed forces.
Military officers later made a formal announcement, stating they were taking “total control” of the nation, suspending the electoral process, and closing its borders. The situation remains fluid, with the future of the country’s fragile democracy hanging in the balance.
Discussion about this post