Military takeover halts election results as regional voices call the ousting a staged move.
Guinea-Bissau has been suspended from the African Union after its military removed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and stopped officials from releasing the results of the recent presidential election. The suspension came two days after soldiers announced they had taken power, a move that immediately raised questions across the region.
Regional leaders in West Africa, including Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and Nigeria’s former president Goodluck Jonathan, said they did not believe the events amounted to a genuine coup. They called for the election results to be made public but did not provide evidence to support their claims. Their statements echoed the opposition, which has also suggested the takeover was staged.
The military said it acted to prevent an attempt to destabilise the country. Soon after taking control, commanders suspended the electoral process and named Gen Horta N’Tam as transitional president for a one-year period. Ilidio Vieira Té, previously the finance minister, was appointed prime minister.
Embaló left the country on a chartered military flight to Senegal after being released from custody. Opposition candidate Fernando Dias, who claims victory in the election, said he is in hiding.
International bodies reacted quickly. The African Union ordered Guinea-Bissau’s suspension, calling the takeover unconstitutional. ECOWAS took similar action and urged the military to return to barracks. The United Nations also condemned the events, describing them as a threat to democratic norms in a country long affected by political instability.
Guinea-Bissau has experienced several coups and many failed attempts since independence from Portugal in 1974. It remains one of the poorest nations in the world and is known as a key transit point for drug trafficking, a problem worsened by years of political turmoil.
Reactions among residents have been mixed. Some expressed fear and frustration about another military intervention, while others said they support the army as long as it brings stability. Many voters had been waiting for the results of an election that drew strong participation across the country.
The situation places Guinea-Bissau among several African nations currently suspended from continental bodies because of military rule, highlighting a wider challenge for democratic transitions in the region.
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