Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau appeared on state television on Wednesday, claiming they had seized power, hours after gunfire was heard near the presidential palace. The announcement comes three days after a disputed national election was held.
Government sources told the BBC that President Umaro Sissoco Embaló had been detained.
“The High Military Command for the reestablishment of national and public order decides to immediately depose the President of the Republic, to suspend, until new orders, all of the institutions of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau,” said Dinis N’Tchama, spokesperson for the country’s military high command, in a statement.
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He said the move followed “the discovery of an ongoing plan” to destabilise the country, alleging that “domestic and foreign nationals” had attempted to manipulate electoral results to advance the plot.
Borders shut
The soldiers announced the immediate suspension of the electoral process, the shutdown of media outlets, and the closure of all borders.
Presidential and legislative elections were held on Sunday. Both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa claimed victory on Tuesday, even though official provisional results are only expected on Thursday.
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Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, has a long history of political instability, experiencing several attempted coups—including four successful ones and one reported just last month—since 1980.
Earlier, Business Insider Africa reported that the continent is witnessing a sharp resurgence of military takeovers, with eight countries experiencing successful coups in just the past four years.
Since 2020, nations including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Chad, Sudan, Gabon, and Madagascar have seen elected governments ousted by the military or through military-backed interventions.
