Military officers in Guinea-Bissau declared “total control” of the West African nation on Wednesday, deposing President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and suspending the electoral process just days after a contentious presidential vote. The coup attempt plunges the country into fresh uncertainty, marking another violent rupture in its long history of political instability.
In an exclusive phone call with FRANCE 24 from his detention at the general staff headquarters, President Embalo confirmed his ouster. “I have been deposed,” he stated, adding that he could not speak further without risking the confiscation of his phone. The move was preceded by sustained gunfire near key government buildings in the capital, Bissau, including the presidential palace and the election commission.
The military’s action directly targets the nation’s political leadership. Alongside President Embalo, the head of the main opposition PAIGC party, Domingos Simões Pereira, and his ally Fernando Dias—who had both claimed victory in the recent election—have been arrested and are reportedly being held at a Bissau air base. A group calling itself the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” announced the immediate suspension of the electoral count, the closure of all borders, and an overnight curfew.
The international community has reacted with swift condemnation. A joint mission of African Union and ECOWAS observers, which includes former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, expressed “deep concern” and called on regional bodies to take steps to restore constitutional order. The United Nations Secretary-General appealed for restraint, while Portugal, the former colonial power, urged all parties to refrain from violence and allow the electoral process to be completed.
This seizure of power is a stark reminder of the fragile political fabric in Guinea-Bissau, a country that has witnessed multiple coups since its independence. The military’ intervention cuts short a democratic exercise already marred by disputes, with both major candidates having prematurely declared victory. The situation leaves the nation, once again, waiting for its soldiers to relinquish control and for its constitutional order to be restored.
