Guinea-Bissau president arrested as military | Political News

A coup is actively transpiring in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Military officers appeared on tv to say they’ve claimed “total control” of the nation.

Nov. twenty sixth is a date that will go down in Guinea-Bissau’s historical past books. The scene started this morning when pictures have been fired exterior the Presidential Palace in Bissau, where the election commission headquarters are situated. Hundreds of civilians fled as armed officers seized the federal government advanced and detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

All borders have reportedly been closed. The takeover comes just three days after a extremely contested presidential election.

Both Embaló, the incumbent, and opposition candidate Fernando Dias prematurely declared victory, raising fears of a repeat of the 2019 electoral disaster, when competing claims despatched the nation into 4 months of political chaos.

Brigadier General Denis N’Canha spoke on national tv on behalf of the military’s high command, asserting their grievances and intentions.

“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 institutions of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau,” said N’Canha.

He claimed the intervention was prompted by a destabilization plot orchestrated by “certain national politicians” and “well-known national and foreign drug barons” looking for to commit election fraud. He claimed that “domestic and foreign nationals” tried to “manipulate electoral results to implement this plan.”

Guinea-Bissau has a long historical past of instability. The UN recognized Guinea-Bissau as a “narco state” in 2008 because of its function in the global cocaine commerce. Located between Senegal and Guinea, its geography has made it the proper drop-off level for Colombian drug cartels.

Additionally, according to the World Bank, the average yearly income in 2024 in the nation of 2.2 million was just $963, making it one of the poorest nations in the world.

Just days earlier, main up to the election, political analyst Augusto Nansambe said that, “The democracy we knew … is no longer the model we are experiencing; we are experiencing a model defined by a single person.” This election was said to be one of the most contentious votes in current historical past because of the exclusion of the main opposition get together.

According to GWN, there have been at least 9 coups in Guinea-Bissau since it gained its independence from Portugal in 1974. Only 4 of which have been profitable.

The whereabouts of President Embaló are presently unknown. According to Jeune Afrique, Embaló called their newsroom himself to report the scenario. “I’ve been deposed,” he said.

A spokesperson for Embalo claims that the gunmen have been affiliated with Dias and attacked the election commission to stop an announcement of the vote outcomes; however, no evidence has been supplied to back this declare.

Until additional discover, the election has been halted, and a strict curfew has been put in place. This is an evolving scenario.