Guinea-Bissau was thrown into fresh political turmoil on Wednesday as soldiers reportedly arrested President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in what appears to be a full-scale military coup just three days after the country’s highly contentious presidential election.
According to multiple local reports, heavy gunfire erupted around the presidential palace in Bissau shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time (GMT). Witnesses said armed soldiers stormed the palace, overpowered the presidential guard, and took President Embaló into custody.
In a brief telephone interview with Jeune Afrique moments after his arrest, President Embaló confirmed the situation, saying: “I have been arrested by the army. I am currently detained at the palace.”
His precise condition and location remain under the firm control of the military, and as of Wednesday evening, the armed forces have not issued any official statement regarding the takeover.
The dramatic development follows an election marred by deep divisions, with both President Embaló and main opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa declaring themselves winners even before official results were announced.
Tensions had been escalating ahead of the vote after the Supreme Court barred several major opposition parties—including the influential PAIGC—from contesting. That decision triggered widespread criticism, with many political observers describing it as an “institutional coup” designed to skew the electoral process.
The unfolding situation now raises fears of renewed instability in the already fragile West African nation, which has experienced multiple coups and attempted coups over the past two decades.
