Armed Officers Detain Guinea-Bissau President, Military Announces Takeover Amid Post-Election Tension
LISBON, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 24: The President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló delivers remarks during a joint press conference with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (not seen) at the end of their one-on-one meeting in Belem Presidential Palace at the beginning of Umaro Sissoco Embaló three-day State Visit to the country on October 24, 2023, in Lisbon, Portugal. The President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló will also be meeting with the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Lisbo
Guinea-Bissau was plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday after armed men arrested President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, days after a disputed election in which the main opposition candidate was disqualified. Heavy gunfire echoed across the capital, Bissau, as residents sheltered indoors, though the identities and motives of the armed attackers remain unclear.
Both Embaló and opposition challenger Fernando Dias had earlier claimed victory in the contested poll, with Dias formally disputing the outcome. The electoral commission had announced that final results would be released by Thursday, following a turnout that exceeded 65% in a country long plagued by political turbulence.
Hours after the president’s detention, the military declared that it had taken full control of the country. Senior officers announced the suspension of the electoral process and ordered the immediate closure of all land, air, and sea borders. The army did not specify whether any other government officials were arrested alongside Embaló.
Guinea-Bissau, which has endured multiple coups and attempted coups over the past decades, is once again facing a political crisis as regional and international observers await clarity on the unfolding situation.
