BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau — Soldiers appeared on state television Wednesday saying they had taken control after gunfire near the presidential palace, three days after national elections. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló told French media he had been deposed and detained.
A military spokesperson, Dinis N’Tchama, announced the creation of what he called “The High Military Command for the reestablishment of national and public order,” saying the president was immediately removed and all republican institutions were suspended “until new orders.” N’Tchama said the action responded to the “discovery of an ongoing plan” to destabilize the country by manipulating electoral results and alleged involvement by national politicians, a known drug lord and foreign nationals, but he offered no supporting details.
The soldiers said they were suspending the electoral process, closing borders and halting media operations. Guinea-Bissau has a long history of coups and coup attempts and is a known transit point for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe.
The presidential and legislative votes were held Sunday. Both incumbent Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa claimed victory on Tuesday; provisional official results were not expected until Thursday.
How the takeover unfolded
Gunfire was reported near the presidential palace around midday. An Associated Press journalist saw roads to the palace closed and checkpoints manned by heavily armed, masked soldiers. A presidential palace official said armed men attempted to attack the building, prompting an exchange of gunfire with guards. An Interior Ministry official reported shots near the National Electoral Commission. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
An international election observer said the election commission chief had been arrested and the commission’s offices sealed by the military. The observer added that the president had told people he was being held by the armed forces. French outlet Jeune Afrique quoted Embaló as saying he was arrested in what he described as a coup led by the army chief of staff and that he had not been subjected to violence.
Critics and international reactions
A civil society coalition, the Popular Front, accused Embaló and the army of staging a “simulated coup” to prevent the release of results and remain in power. The group claimed the move aimed to block publication of results that had been scheduled for Nov. 27 and alleged plans to appoint a new president and interim prime minister before holding fresh elections in which Embaló would run again.
The United Nations said it was following events “with deep concern.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed to national actors to show restraint and respect the rule of law, his spokesperson said. In a joint statement, African Union and ECOWAS election observation missions condemned what they called a “blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process,” urged a return to constitutional order and demanded the immediate release of detained election officials.
Wider context
Embaló has faced a dispute over his legitimacy. Guinea-Bissau’s constitution sets a five-year presidential term; Embaló first took office in February 2020. The opposition says his term ended on Feb. 27 this year, while the Supreme Court had ruled it should run until Sept. 4. The presidential vote had been delayed and was held this month.
The event fits a broader pattern of coups in West Africa since 2020. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are currently governed by military leaders who seized power, citing security failures. In neighboring Guinea, Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya ousted the president in 2021, and in Gabon mutinous soldiers took power after the 2023 vote; the Gabonese coup leader, Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema, was later elected president.