Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau announced on state television that they had seized control of the country, following reports of gunfire near the presidential palace just days after national elections. Dinis N’Tchama, a spokesperson for the military high command, stated that the coup aimed to remove President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and suspend all republican institutions due to an alleged plot to destabilize the nation. This plot supposedly involved both domestic and foreign actors, including a notorious drug lord, who intended to manipulate electoral results.
The military junta, named the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order, declared the immediate suspension of the electoral process, closed the borders, and halted media operations. Notably, both President Embaló and his electoral opponent, Fernando Dias da Costa, had prematurely claimed victory in the elections, even as official results were pending.
The coup has drawn widespread international concern. Portugal, the former colonial power, called for an end to the violence and the resumption of the electoral process. Observers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) condemned the military takeover, urging a return to constitutional order and demanding the release of detained election officials to facilitate the electoral process.
This incident underscores the ongoing political instability in West Africa, where Guinea-Bissau has experienced multiple coups and attempts since its independence in 1974. The nation continues to face significant challenges in achieving stable democratic governance, as evidenced by this latest upheaval.
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