Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has fled to neighbouring Senegal after being released by the military that toppled his government this week, authorities in Senegal confirmed. Embaló, a former army general who assumed office in 2020, arrived safely on a chartered military flight late Thursday.
The dramatic events follow intensive negotiations by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which sought to secure his safe transfer amid rising tensions across the country.
Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau’s military has appointed a new transitional leader, General Horta N’Tam, who will oversee the nation for the next year. The coup occurred just a day before provisional results were expected from the recent presidential and parliamentary elections, which had been hotly contested.
The military suspended the electoral process, blocked the release of results, and imposed a night-time curfew, claiming it acted to prevent a plot by unnamed politicians, allegedly backed by a prominent drug figure, to destabilize the country. Public protests have also been banned.
Located between Senegal and Guinea, Guinea-Bissau has long been plagued by political instability and is notorious as a hub for drug trafficking, with the military playing a strong role since independence from Portugal in 1974. Both Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias, had claimed victory in the recent presidential vote. Dias was supported by former Prime Minister Domingos Pereira, who had been disqualified from running. Reports indicate that Dias, Pereira, and Interior Minister Botché Candé were detained by the military.
The capital, Bissau, remained tense on Thursday, with soldiers patrolling streets and most markets and shops closed. General N’Tam, the army chief of staff, was sworn in as the new leader and stated that the military acted “to prevent operations that threatened our democracy.” Following the swearing-in, borders that had been closed were reopened.
Regional and international bodies condemned the coup. ECOWAS suspended Guinea-Bissau from decision-making roles until constitutional order is restored and called on the military to return to barracks, labeling the takeover a “grave violation” of the nation’s constitution. The African Union echoed this condemnation, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern, urging an immediate restoration of constitutional governance.
Guinea-Bissau has a long history of coups, having experienced at least nine successful or attempted coups over the past fifty years, reflecting persistent instability that continues to undermine its political and economic progress.