Guinea-Bissau has descended into political turmoil after military officers announced a full takeover of the country, suspending all electoral activities and sealing the nation’s borders—just three days after general elections.

Heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential palace on Wednesday, as soldiers in full military gear took control of key routes leading to the seat of power. Soon after, the armed forces declared they had assumed “total control” of the state.

Military Announces Takeover

General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, addressed journalists surrounded by heavily armed soldiers. He announced that a unified military command drawn from all branches of the armed forces would be running the country “until further notice.”

His statement came amid confusion over the whereabouts and safety of incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who was reportedly inside a building behind military headquarters alongside the chief of staff and the interior minister. It remains unclear whether the president has been arrested.

Election Crisis Deepens

Both President Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias had already declared victory in Sunday’s presidential election, ahead of official provisional results expected Thursday. The disputed claims intensified political tensions in the coup-prone nation.

Guinea-Bissau has witnessed four successful coups and numerous failed attempts since independence from Portugal, earning a reputation for chronic instability.

Military Cites Plot Involving Drug Traffickers

General N’Canha claimed the military acted to “prevent a plan to destabilise the country,” accusing unnamed national drug barons of attempting to smuggle weapons into the country to subvert constitutional order.

The armed forces have now:

• Suspended the entire electoral process
• Shut down all media programming
• Imposed a mandatory nationwide curfew
• Closed all land, air, and sea borders

Attack on the Electoral Commission

Guinea-Bissau’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) came under attack on Wednesday by unidentified armed men, according to the commission’s communications official Abdourahmane Djalo.

More than 6,780 security personnel, including members of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force, had been deployed for election security, yet tensions escalated regardless.

A Country Mired in Instability

Guinea-Bissau is considered one of the world’s poorest nations and a major drug-trafficking hub linking Latin America and Europe. Analysts often attribute this illicit trade to the country’s weak institutions and recurrent political upheavals.

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The 2025 election was already controversial after the Supreme Court struck out the main opposition party, PAIGC, and its leader, Domingos Simões Pereira, from the list of approved candidates, citing late submission of documents. Opposition groups labelled the move “manipulation.”

In 2023, President Embalo dissolved the opposition-controlled legislature and has since ruled by decree—another factor that fueled rising political tensions.

Opposition leaders maintain that Embalo’s term legally ended on February 27, exactly five years after his inauguration, insisting that his continued stay in office is unconstitutional.

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