Military officers in Guinea-Bissau have announced a takeover of the country, declaring the deposition of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló amidst a day of gunfire and confusion in the capital, Bissau. This development followed a presidential election whose provisional results were highly anticipated on Thursday, with both incumbent President Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias (also referred to as Fernando Dias da Costa), having already claimed victory.

Witnesses in Bissau reported hearing gunfire around 13:00 GMT on Wednesday near the electoral commission headquarters, the presidential palace, and the interior ministry. The shooting lasted for about an hour, prompting hundreds of people to flee on foot and in vehicles, seeking shelter as shots rang out. Roads leading to the palace were subsequently closed off, with checkpoints manned by heavily armed and masked soldiers.

Later in the day, military officers appeared on state television to announce their seizure of power. General Denis N’Canha (also identified as Dinis N’Tchama), head of the military household at the presidential palace, read out a statement declaring that officers had formed “the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order.” This command stated its decision to immediately depose the President of the Republic and suspend all institutions of Guinea-Bissau until further notice, including the electoral process and media outlets. They also announced the closure of all national borders and urged citizens to remain calm.

The military high command justified their actions by citing the “discovery of an ongoing plan” aimed at destabilizing the country through the manipulation of electoral results. They claimed this scheme was orchestrated by “some national politicians with the participation of a well-known drug lord, and domestic and foreign nationals.”

President Umaro Sissoco Embaló’s arrest was confirmed by government and military sources. Speaking in a phone call with France 24, Embaló himself stated, “I have been deposed,” confirming his removal from office. A military source later informed AFP that Embaló was being held at general-staff headquarters and was being “well-treated.” Reports also indicate that, in addition to the president, several ministers, the chief of staff, the minister of the interior, and other senior army staff members have been arrested. The election commission chief was also reportedly detained, and the commission office sealed off by the military.

The political turmoil unfolds in a nation with a deep history of instability. Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony that gained independence in 1974, has a population of just under two million people and is considered one of the poorest countries in the world. It has experienced nine coups or attempted coups since 1980. Embaló has previously claimed to have survived multiple coup attempts, with the latest reported in December 2023. Critics have also contended that he exaggerated threats to consolidate power and faced a legitimacy crisis regarding his presidential term, which some opposition groups argued had already expired.

The country’s fragile political landscape is further complicated by its strategic role in cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe, leading the UN to describe Guinea-Bissau as a “narco-state.” Analysts suggest this factor significantly exacerbates its chronic instability.