Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was arrested and detained by armed forces on Wednesday afternoon in an apparent military coup, three days after disputed presidential elections.
Heavy gunfire erupted around the presidential palace in the capital Bissau shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time (GMT).
Witnesses and local media reported that soldiers stormed the palace, overpowered the presidential guard, and took President Embaló into custody.In a brief telephone interview with the French-language outlet Jeune Afrique shortly after his arrest, President Embaló confirmed: “I have been arrested by the army. I am currently detained at the palace.” His current whereabouts remain under military control, with no official statement from the armed forces as of Wednesday evening.
The coup follows Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections, in which both Embaló and main opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa claimed victory before results were announced.
The Supreme Court had barred several major opposition parties, including the historic PAIGC, from participating, prompting accusations of an “institutional coup” in the weeks leading up to the vote.
Guinea-Bissau, a small West African nation with a long history of political instability, has experienced at least ten successful or attempted coups since independence in 1974. President Embaló, a former army general, has ruled largely by decree since dissolving parliament in December 2023.
No official comment has been issued by the military leadership, ECOWAS, or the African Union at the time of publication. The situation in Bissau remains tense, with sporadic gunfire reported in several neighborhoods.Official election results had been scheduled for release on Thursday, November 27.
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