Guinea-Bissau Faces Fresh Turmoil as Military Installs New Leader After Sudden Coup

Post by : Saif Nasser

Guinea-Bissau has once again entered a period of deep political trouble after its military removed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo from power and installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as the new transitional president. The sudden takeover took place just days after the country held a presidential election, but before the official results could be announced.

The West African nation has long struggled with coups and political disorder, but this event marks the ninth military intervention in the region in just five years. Guinea-Bissau itself has a long history of power struggles, and many people fear that the instability will grow worse before things get better.

According to the Guinea-Bissau military, the coup was necessary to stop what they described as a plan by drug traffickers and politicians to take control of the government. They did not provide much evidence, but the new military leadership claimed they were acting to “protect Guinean democracy.”

Major-General Inta-a appeared on state television wearing his army uniform and surrounded by other military officials. He announced that the transition would last for one year. A short time later, he swore in Major-General Tomas Djassi as the new army chief of staff.

President Embalo, who was removed from office, was taken out of the country on a special flight arranged by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. He landed in Senegal late on Thursday, though for several hours before that, his exact location was unclear. The military had earlier stated that Embalo and other officials were “under the control” of the High Military Command.

As the coup took place, many people in the capital, Bissau, heard gunfire near the electoral commission and the presidential palace. Businesses and banks remained closed, and even pharmacies did not open, making residents fear for their safety. One local professor said he was deeply worried because people could not even buy medicine during the crisis.

The international community responded quickly and strongly. The African Union condemned the coup and demanded the immediate release of President Embalo and other detained officials. ECOWAS leaders held a virtual meeting to discuss the situation, and the European Union said the vote counting must continue so that the electoral process can be completed.

Meanwhile, Fernando Dias, the main challenger to Embalo in the recent election, accused the former president of staging a “false coup attempt” in an effort to stop the election results from being announced. His political coalition demanded that voting results be released as soon as possible. They also called for the release of former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, who was detained by the security forces during the chaos.

When people gathered to protest these arrests, security forces used tear gas to break up the crowds. Some witnesses said live rounds were fired, though no injuries were reported.

Guinea-Bissau has long been known as a key transit point for cocaine moving from South America to Europe. Under Embalo’s leadership, experts say drug trafficking increased sharply. A specialist from the Observatory of Illicit Economies in West Africa said that major traffickers had even helped finance some election campaigns. She warned that the coup was unlikely to reduce the influence of drug networks in the country.

Foreign election observers have also gone missing. The African Union and ECOWAS announced that several monitors had been detained, and Nigeria’s former president Goodluck Jonathan, who was in the country to observe the vote, could not be reached. Nigeria’s foreign ministry urged the coup leaders to guarantee the safety of all election observers and warned that those responsible would face consequences.

As Guinea-Bissau deals with another leadership crisis, many people in the region fear that the cycle of coups and political instability will continue. For now, the streets remain tense, businesses are closed, and the future of the country’s democracy hangs in the balance.