Armed Forces Launch Coup to Seize Power in Guinea-Bissau
(Bissau) – A faction of military officers has announced they have successfully moved to seize power in Guinea-Bissau. This decisive action, which unfolded on Wednesday, reportedly includes the arrest of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. Consequently, the nation now faces a severe political crisis and an uncertain future.
The BBC initially reported that government sources confirmed President Embaló’s detention shortly after residents heard intense gunfire in the capital. Following these alarming events, military officers appeared on state TV to make an official announcement.
They declared they had suspended the nation’s electoral process and would govern until further notice. Therefore, this move to seize power in Guinea-Bissau directly halts the democratic process, as the country had been awaiting the results of Sunday’s presidential election.
The electoral context was already fraught with tension. Specifically, the main opposition candidate had been disqualified from running, and both President Embaló and his closest rival, Fernando Dias, had preemptively claimed victory.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, witnesses confirmed that sustained gunfire broke out around 13:00 GMT. As a result, hundreds of terrified citizens, both on foot and in vehicles, fled through the streets to seek shelter from the violence.
Subsequently, General Denis N’Canha, the head of the military household at the presidential palace, read a formal statement to declare the takeover. He stated that officers had formed a new governing body, “the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order.” Additionally, he confirmed the immediate closure of the nation’s borders. Gen N’Canha then directly instructed the population to “remain calm” during this turbulent period.
In addition to the president, the military has also reportedly arrested the president’s entire army staff and a number of his ministers. This decisive move to seize power in Guinea-Bissau is the latest upheaval in a long history of instability for the West African nation.
Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony with a population of just under two million, is one of the world’s poorest countries and has now experienced nine coups or attempted coups since 1980.
President Embaló himself has claimed to have survived multiple coup attempts during his time in office, though his critics allege he has sometimes fabricated crises to crack down on dissent
