Guinea-Bissau President Flee to Senegal After Coup — Dakar Confirms
Guinea-Bissau President Flee to Senegal After Coup — Dakar Confirms
Guinea-Bissau’s President and presidential candidate, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who voted in the November 23 elections, has arrived safely in Senegal after being detained during a military coup in his country, the Senegalese government confirmed on Thursday. His arrival comes amid accusations from his main challenger, Fernando Dias da Costa, who alleged that Embaló “organised” the coup to block the release of results that he claims would have declared him winner.
The military, which seized power on Wednesday—just a day before the expected announcement of provisional presidential and parliamentary results—moved swiftly to install General Horta N’Tam, the army chief of staff, as the country’s new leader for a one-year transition. N’Tam was sworn in at the military headquarters, proclaiming he had taken charge of the High Command.
Dias, speaking to AFP from hiding, insisted he had secured roughly 52 percent of the vote and declared himself the rightful president-elect. He said he fled his campaign headquarters on Wednesday when armed men attempted to arrest him. His ally and former frontrunner, Domingos Simões Pereira—barred earlier by the Supreme Court from contesting—was arrested the same day.
Meanwhile, the military reshuffled top command positions, naming General Tomás Djassi, formerly Embaló’s personal chief of staff, as the new head of the armed forces.
Tight Security, Crackdown on Media
Bissau, the nation’s capital, was almost completely shut down on Thursday, with markets and shops closed and heavily armed soldiers patrolling the streets. The junta banned all media programming and prohibited public demonstrations.
N’Tam, flanked by armed troops, defended the coup, claiming it aimed to prevent operations threatening national democracy. Another senior officer, General Denis N’Canha, alleged the army uncovered a plot involving “drug lords” and illegal arms intended to destabilise the constitutional order.
Although borders had initially been sealed on Wednesday, they were later reopened. The curfew was lifted, and the High Command ordered the immediate reopening of schools, markets, and private institutions.
Questions Over Motive
Members of the diaspora and researchers expressed doubts about the coup’s stated rationale, suggesting the takeover could ultimately benefit Embaló. Preliminary, unofficial results circulating before the coup reportedly showed Dias in the lead.
“This is a coup aimed at preventing the opposition candidate, Fernando Dias, from seizing power,” one West African researcher told AFP. “It is an ideal scenario for Mr. Embaló, who could be released and politically repositioned after negotiations.”
Regional and International Condemnation
The African Union condemned the coup as a violation of constitutional order and demanded Embaló’s unconditional release. ECOWAS chair Julius Maada Bio described the situation as a “grave violation,” while the European Union called for a swift restoration of constitutional rule and continuation of the electoral process.
Guinea-Bissau, located between Guinea and Senegal, has faced chronic instability since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. The latest events mark the fourth successful coup in its modern history.
For many citizens, the upheaval has become a painful pattern. “Every time we feel hopeful about the country, a crisis occurs,” said Mamadou Woury Diallo, a soap seller in Bissau. “This can’t go on.”
