Guinea-Bissau’s military has seized power, announcing on state television that President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has been deposed and all government institutions suspended.
The dramatic takeover follows claims by the army that it uncovered a plot to manipulate electoral results in Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections.
Military spokesperson Dinis N’Tchama declared that the armed forces had “immediately deposed the president of the republic” and were suspending the electoral process, shutting down media activity, and closing the country’s borders.
He said the alleged scheme involved national politicians, a “well-known drug lord”, and both domestic and foreign actors, though he did not provide details.
Guinea-Bissau has long been identified as a transit hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, and political instability has often intersected with the criminal networks operating in the region.
President Embaló confirmed to France 24 that he had been removed from office and later told Jeune Afrique that he had been arrested in what he described as a military-led coup. An international election observer told the Associated Press that the president had been communicating from custody, though he was reportedly not harmed.
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Gunfire erupted around midday near the presidential palace in Bissau, with guards exchanging shots with a group of armed men attempting to gain entry, according to palace officials.
More gunshots were reported near the national electoral commission. Roads leading to the palace were sealed off by heavily armed and masked soldiers.
Tensions escalated further when both President Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa claimed victory ahead of the official provisional results expected on Thursday.
Embaló’s five-year term officially ended earlier this year, but the Supreme Court extended it to September, and voting was delayed to November.
The coup marks yet another chapter in Guinea-Bissau’s long history of political upheaval.
Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has seen four successful coups and numerous failed attempts, including one reportedly thwarted last month.
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