Guinea-Bissau was plunged into fresh political turmoil on Wednesday after the military arrested President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and toppled the country’s democratic government in what he has described as a coup d’état.
According to Africa Report, Embaló was detained at about 1 p.m. while in his office at the presidential palace. He later said that no force was used during his arrest, although he insisted the operation was orchestrated by the army’s chief of staff. The armed forces’ chief of staff, General Biaguê Na Ntan, his deputy, General Mamadou Touré, and the interior minister, Botché Candé, were also reportedly taken into custody, signalling a dramatic breakdown between the presidency and the military leadership, which has long acted as the ultimate arbiter of political power in the country.
The coup follows Sunday’s presidential election, during which Embaló—who was seeking another term—claimed to have secured 65 per cent of the vote based on his own tally. His rival, Fernando Dias de Costa, simultaneously declared that he had won, even though the electoral commission was not due to release provisional results until Thursday. Journalists covering the vote described a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the capital, with gunfire reported around the National Electoral Commission headquarters. One reporter said his team had taken shelter inside the office of the commission’s communications officer as gunshots rang out nearby.
The political fallout reflects the deep institutional fragility that has characterised Guinea-Bissau for decades. Embaló has repeatedly clashed with parliament, which he dissolved in 2022, and has attempted to consolidate authority by reshaping the security services and sidelining political rivals. These actions fuelled mistrust within both the political establishment and the armed forces. The unexpectedly strong performance of Dias de Costa further unsettled the political balance, prompting both camps to claim victory prematurely and placing additional pressure on already fragile institutions.
Analysts say today’s events were the culmination of long-standing tensions, with the military now reasserting itself in decisive fashion. As the capital remains tense and the country awaits official election results—now overshadowed by the military takeover—Guinea-Bissau faces yet another uncertain chapter in its turbulent political history.
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