The military in Guinea-Bissau installed Major-General Horta Nta Na Man as transitional president on Thursday, according to an army statement released a day after soldiers deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo in a swift power grab following a contested election. Embalo was later flown to Senegal aboard a special aircraft after intervention by the West African regional bloc, Senegal’s foreign ministry said.
The takeover marked the ninth coup in West and Central Africa in five years and extended Guinea-Bissau’s long pattern of political instability in a country widely regarded as a transit hub for cocaine trafficking. The self-declared “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” announced in a televised address that it had removed Embalo, alleging without detail that the government was part of a destabilisation plot involving politicians and drug networks.
Appearing in military uniform alongside other senior officers, Nta Na Man made his first public appearance during a televised ceremony, describing the intervention as necessary to prevent “narcotraffickers” from undermining democracy and confirming that the transition would last one year. He later appointed Major-General Tomas Djassi as army chief of staff during a formal swearing-in ceremony.
The coup occurred a day before provisional results were due in the presidential contest between Embalo and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, a 47-year-old political newcomer. Prior to the official announcement, gunfire was heard for about an hour near the electoral commission and presidential palace in the capital. Embalo later told French media that he had been deposed and that senior officials were under military control.
Regional and international bodies condemned the takeover. African Union chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for the release of Embalo and other detained officials, while ECOWAS leaders held a virtual meeting to discuss the situation. The European Union urged the restoration of constitutional order and continuation of the vote count.
Bissau remained largely quiet on Thursday, with soldiers patrolling the streets and many residents staying indoors despite the lifting of an overnight curfew. Businesses and banks stayed closed as small protests were dispersed using tear gas and warning shots, though no casualties were reported.
Dias earlier accused Embalo of attempting to engineer a “false coup” to overturn the election outcome, while his supporters demanded the release of former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, who was detained during the unrest. Election observers also called for the release of arrested electoral officials, as concerns grew over the safety of monitoring teams.
Guinea-Bissau has experienced repeated coups and attempted coups since independence in 1974, and analysts said the latest takeover was unlikely to curb the country’s entrenched role in the regional narcotics trade.
(With inputs from Reuters)
