Breaking! Coup Hits Guinea-Bissau As Top Military Officers Take Control, Close Air Space & Borders, President Kicked Out!

By Frank Kamuntu

A group of army officers in Guinea-Bissau announced on Wednesday that they had seized power, plunging the coup-prone West African nation into yet another political crisis just hours before the expected release of preliminary presidential election results.

In a statement broadcast on state television, the officers said they had overthrown President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, suspended the electoral process, closed all borders, and imposed a nationwide curfew. The group, identifying itself as “The High Military Command for the Restoration of Order”, declared that it would govern the country until further notice.

Shortly after the announcement, Embaló confirmed to France 24 that he had been removed from office, saying simply: “I have been deposed.”

However, the officers did not clarify whether the president had been detained, and his exact whereabouts remained unknown as of Wednesday evening.

The takeover followed a tense morning in the capital, Bissau, where residents reported rounds of gunfire near several key government institutions, including the electoral commission, presidential palace, and interior ministry. A Reuters journalist said the gunfire lasted about an hour before subsiding. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The army officers justified their intervention by accusing “certain national politicians” and “well-known national and foreign drug barons” of plotting to destabilise the country and manipulate election results. Guinea-Bissau has long struggled with political volatility and is widely known as a major trafficking hub for cocaine smuggled to Europe.

The electoral commission had been scheduled to announce provisional results from Sunday’s election on Thursday. Embaló was seeking re-election against his main challenger, Fernando Dias, with both camps claiming victory in the first round even before votes were tallied.

Tensions spiked when unknown gunmen attacked the electoral commission on Wednesday. Antonio Yaya Seidy, a spokesperson for Embaló, accused Dias’ supporters of orchestrating the assault, though he presented no evidence.

Former prime minister Domingos Simões Pereira, who narrowly lost to Embaló in 2019 and publicly supports Dias, dismissed the allegations. Pereira said Dias was in a meeting with election observers when the shooting began and had “nothing to do with the incident.” He added that Dias was safe and remained in the capital.

Guinea-Bissau, a nation of roughly 2 million people, has endured chronic political instability since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. Between then and 2020, it experienced at least nine successful or attempted coups.

Embaló, who came to power in 2020, has long portrayed himself as a survivor of multiple coup attempts. Critics, however, accuse him of inflaming political tensions and exploiting crises to justify heavy-handed measures against opponents.

As of Wednesday night, it remained unclear whether the officers behind the coup had secured the backing of the broader armed forces or consolidated control over the entire country. International observers and regional partners have not yet issued formal statements, but concerns are mounting over the possibility of renewed violence in an already fragile state.

With borders shut, the electoral process suspended, and rival factions pointing fingers, Guinea-Bissau faces a pivotal and uncertain moment one that could shape its political trajectory for years to come.