Guinea-Bissau shaken by reported ‘coup’ attempt after vote

Guinea-Bissau has been hit by a coup d’état, as military officers declared on Wednesday that they seized control of the West African country and closed all borders, according to media reports. This comes days after disputed elections in which both the current president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, declared victory.

According to Jeune Afrique, Embalo was arrested in his office at the presidential palace during the “coup,” which he reportedly said was orchestrated by the army chief of staff. The magazine said sources reported gunfire around midday near the palace and the electoral commission’s offices, adding that men in fatigues took up positions along the main road to the presidency.

A spokesperson for Embalo told Reuters that unidentified gunmen attacked the election commission to stop the announcement of the provisional election results. He claimed that the assailants were linked to Dias, but did not provide any evidence.

The presidential election was held on Sunday. Embalo reportedly claimed victory with 65% based on his camp’s own tally. Dias told reporters at his campaign headquarters that a parallel count shows him winning more than 50%. The election was reported to have taken place peacefully, though the main opposition party, PAIGC, and its candidate, Domingos Simoes Pereira, were not on the ballot. The official results are due on Thursday.

The military said in a televised statement on Wednesday that it seized power after uncovering what it described as a plot by Embalo to destabilize Guinea-Bissau, allegedly involving a well-known drug baron, and an attempt to manipulate the election results.

It added that it has deposed the president, suspended state institutions, the media, and the electoral process, closed the borders and airspace, imposed a curfew, and will hold power until constitutional order is restored.

Guinea-Bissau has a long record of military takeovers since independence from Portugal in 1974. Embalo, who is seeking to become the country’s first leader in three decades to win reelection, has faced several coup attempts during his first term, which began in February 2020.

According to the National Electoral Commission, turnout on Sunday exceeded 65%. A runoff will be held if no presidential candidate secures more than 50% of the vote.

The Russian Embassy in Guinea-Bissau told RT that it had been placed on high alert amid the unrest, confirming that gunfire was heard in the city center. Embassy press secretary Nikolay Danilov said reports on Embalo’s fate were “contradictory” and remained unclear, adding that the mission was in contact with Russian nationals and monitoring developments. Danilov added that the situation in the city, at least around the embassy, remained calm.