By Muhammad Mamman
The military has taken control of Guinea-Bissau, detaining President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on Wednesday, in a dramatic turn just days after a contested election.
According to Embaló, he was arrested at around 1:00 p.m. local time while in his office at the presidential palace. He said no force was used during the operation, which he described as a “coup d’état” orchestrated by senior military leadership.
Alongside Embaló, the army took into custody key security figures — including the chief of staff Biaguê Na Ntan, deputy chief of staff Mamadou Touré, and Interior Minister Botché Candé.
Gunfire rang out near the presidential palace, the interior ministry and the national election commission, heightening fears of widespread unrest in the capital. Some witnesses described panic as armed soldiers sealed off key buildings.
The coup comes just three days after the 23 November election, a vote marred by deep divisions and competing victory claims from both Embaló and his main challenger Fernando Dias da Costa. Official results have yet to be announced.
In a statement, the military declared it had assumed “total control” of the country — suspending the electoral process and sealing national borders — plunging Guinea-Bissau into uncharted territory amid historic instability.
