A group of military officers in Guinea-Bissau has announced that they have taken “total control” of the country, suspending the electoral process and imposing a nationwide curfew and border closures. Calling themselves the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order”, the officers made the declaration after heavy gunfire erupted near key government buildings in the capital, Bissau. The intervention came just as the nation awaited results from a highly disputed presidential election in which both President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his challenger Fernando Dias prematurely claimed victory.
President Embalo later confirmed to France24 that he had been deposed and was being held at the military general staff headquarters. Reports indicated that he had been arrested alongside Domingos Simoes Pereira, the head of the main opposition party. The coup is led by Denis N’Canha, formerly the commander responsible for protecting the president. This latest upheaval adds to Guinea-Bissau’s long history of political instability, with multiple coups since independence in 1974. Observers had already raised concerns about the legitimacy of the election after the opposition PAIGC party was barred from contesting.
Regional and international organisations have condemned the takeover. ECOWAS and the African Union expressed disappointment, noting that both leading candidates had previously assured election observers of their willingness to accept the results. Their joint statement urged the military to release detained officials and allow the electoral process to continue. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also appealed for restraint and respect for the rule of law. Meanwhile, Portugal, Guinea-Bissau’s former colonial ruler, called on all parties to avoid violence and ensure state institutions can complete the electoral process.
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