BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau — Soldiers appeared on state television Wednesday saying they had seized power after gunfire near the presidential palace, three days after national elections. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló told French media he had been deposed and arrested.
On television, military spokesperson Dinis N’Tchama announced the formation of “The High Military Command for the reestablishment of national and public order,” declaring the immediate deposition of the president and the suspension of all republican institutions “until new orders.” He said the move responded to the “discovery of an ongoing plan” to destabilize the country by manipulating electoral results, alleging involvement by national politicians, a well-known drug lord and foreign nationals, without providing details.
The soldiers said they were suspending the electoral process, closing borders and halting activities of media outlets. Guinea-Bissau has a long history of coups and attempted coups since independence and has become a transit hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe.
The presidential and legislative elections were held Sunday. Incumbent Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa each claimed victory on Tuesday, though provisional official results were not expected until Thursday.
How the coup unfolded
Gunfire was heard midday near the presidential palace. An Associated Press journalist observed roads to the palace closed and checkpoints manned by heavily armed, masked soldiers. A presidential palace official said a group of armed men tried to attack the building, triggering an exchange of gunfire with guards. Another Interior Ministry official reported hearing shots near the National Electoral Commission. Both spoke on condition of anonymity.
An international election observer said the election commission chief was arrested and the commission’s office sealed by the military. The observer added that the president had told people he was being held by the military. French outlet Jeune Afrique quoted Embaló as saying he was arrested in what he called a coup led by the army chief of staff and that he was not subjected to violence.
Critics and responses
The civil society coalition Popular Front accused Embaló and the army of staging a “simulated coup” to block the release of results and cling to power. The group claimed the maneuver aimed to prevent publication of results scheduled for Nov. 27 and alleged Embaló planned to appoint a new president and interim prime minister, then call fresh elections in which he would run again.
The U.N. said it was following events “with deep concern.” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres appealed to national stakeholders to exercise restraint and respect the rule of law, his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said. In a joint statement, election observation missions from the African Union and the regional bloc ECOWAS denounced a “blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process” and called for a return to constitutional order and the immediate release of detained election officials.
Context
Embaló has faced a legitimacy dispute: Guinea-Bissau’s constitution sets a five-year presidential term. Embaló first took office in February 2020; the opposition says his term ended Feb. 27 this year, while the Supreme Court ruled it should run until Sept. 4. The presidential vote had been delayed until this month.
West Africa has seen a wave of coups since 2020. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are ruled by military leaders who seized power pledging to improve security amid insurgencies. In neighboring Guinea, Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya overthrew the president in 2021, citing broken promises and corruption. In Gabon, mutinous soldiers took power in 2023 after an election that barred international observers; coup leader Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema was later elected president.