Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau have announced they are taking 'total control' of the country, three days after elections that both main presidential contenders claim to have won. Military officers said they were suspending the electoral process and closing borders, in a statement broadcast on state TV. They said they had formed 'the high military command for the restoration of order', which would rule until further notice.
Earlier on Wednesday, shots were heard near the election commission headquarters, presidential palace and interior ministry, though responsibility was unclear. Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias, both claim victory in Sunday's first-round vote. A spokesperson for Embaló alleged the shots were fired by Dias's gunmen, while a Dias ally accused Embaló of fabricating a coup attempt to declare an emergency. Neither provided evidence.
The military takeover is the latest in a string of coups and attempted coups since independence from Portugal in 1974. The UN labelled Guinea-Bissau a 'narco state' in 2008 due to its role as a hub for the global cocaine trade. The country's coastline, with river deltas and the Bijagós archipelago, has provided discrete drop-off points for Colombian drug cartels, according to experts.
Embaló, who took office in 2020, claimed to have survived three coup attempts during his first term, the most recent in October. Critics, however, alleged he fabricated these attempts to repress opposition. In December 2023, gunfire in Bissau led Embaló to dissolve parliament, which has not functioned properly since. The election commission was due to announce provisional results on Thursday.
