Guinea-Bissau was thrown into uncertainty on Wednesday after senior military officers announced they had assumed “total control” of the country, suspending the electoral process and shutting the nation’s borders. The declaration came just three days after the country held legislative and presidential elections.
Tension had built earlier in the day when heavy gunfire echoed around the presidential palace in Bissau. Witnesses reported seeing men in military uniform blocking the main road leading to the building, fuelling speculation of an unfolding coup in the already coup-prone West African nation.
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Not long after, military officers gathered at army headquarters, where they read a statement declaring they were taking charge of the state. The announcement was observed by journalists present at the scene.
Amid the chaos, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was reportedly detained by armed soldiers. According to a report by The Africa Report, Embaló told Jeune Afrique that he had been taken into custody around 1 p.m. while in his office at the presidential palace. He described the events as a “coup d’état” allegedly led by the army chief of staff.
The arrests extended beyond the president. General Biaguê Na Ntan, the armed forces’ chief of staff; his deputy, General Mamadou Touré; and Interior Minister Botché Candé were all said to have been taken into custody as well. Embaló noted that he was not physically assaulted during his detention.
The situation remains fluid, with no clarity yet on the full extent of the military’s control or the whereabouts of detained officials.
