Guinea-Bissau’s military announced Wednesday it has seized power, halting the release of results from Sunday’s contentious general election and raising fears of further instability in the West Africa region [[1]]. This latest intervention follows a pattern of political upheaval in the former Portuguese colony,which has experienced several accomplished coups since gaining independence in 1974 [[2]].The military alleges a plot to destabilize the country and manipulate the election, coming after both presidential candidates claimed victory.
Military officials in Guinea-Bissau announced Wednesday they have seized control of the West African nation, suspending the electoral process and closing borders, raising concerns about further instability in a region already grappling with political turmoil. The move comes as results from Sunday’s general elections were expected to be released.
A spokesman for the self-declared “High Command for the Restoration of National Order,” General Denis N’Canha, who is responsible for security at the presidential palace, announced the takeover in a statement delivered from the armed forces headquarters in the capital, Bissau. He stated the group “has just assumed the fullness of the powers of the State of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.”
According to N’Canha, the military acted after uncovering a plot to destabilize the country, allegedly involving national politicians, a known drug trafficker, and attempts to manipulate the election results. “The execution of this plan was discovered by the state’s intelligence services,” he said.
The coup unfolded on the eve of the expected announcement of provisional results from the general elections held on Sunday. Both the incumbent president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, and his main rival, independent candidate Fernando Dias da Costa, had claimed victory in recent hours.
N’Canha announced the “immediate” dismissal of President Embaló and the “immediate” suspension of the ongoing electoral process. He also decreed the closure of state institutions, a suspension of activities by “social communication organs” – media outlets – and a nationwide curfew from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM local time (GMT).
Earlier Wednesday, armed soldiers stormed several radio stations in Bissau, ordering them to cease broadcasting, according to reports confirmed by the affected stations.
Witnesses in Bissau reported a panicked exodus from the city center as residents sought safety in outlying areas amid reports of gunfire. Streets leading to the presidential palace, including those near the Portuguese Embassy, have been blocked by heavily armed and masked soldiers, preventing political leaders from seeking refuge at the diplomatic mission, according to local media outlet O Democrata.
According to a source at the Ministry of Interior and Public Order, who spoke on condition of anonymity, armed men attempted to attack the presidential palace and raided the headquarters of the National Election Commission (CNE). Pan-African news outlet Jeune Afrique reported that President Embaló confirmed he was detained in his office around midday.
Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability, having experienced successful coups in 1980, 1998/99, 2003, and 2012. The country gained independence from Portugal in 1974.
Sunday’s elections, which observers from the African Union (AU) and other international missions deemed “democratic, free, and participatory,” were marked by the exclusion of key opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, who was barred from running for allegedly technical reasons. The development underscores the fragility of democratic processes in the region.
Guinea-Bissau also serves as a transit route for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe, giving it strategic importance in West Africa. The country’s location makes it vulnerable to transnational criminal activity and regional instability.
