A group of military officers say they have seized control of Guinea-Bissau amid reports that the president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, has been arrested. Shortly after gunshots were heard in the capital, Bissau, government sources told the BBC that Embaló had been detained. The officers then appeared on state TV, saying they had suspended the electoral process, as the West African nation awaited the outcome of Sunday's presidential election.
They said they were acting to thwart a plot by unnamed politicians who had 'the support of a well-known drug baron' to destabilise the country, and announced the closure of its borders and imposed a night-time curfew.
Sandwiched between Senegal and Guinea, the coup-prone country is known as a notorious drug-trafficking hub where the military has been influential since independence from Portugal in 1974. The election results were expected on Thursday - both Embaló and his closest rival, Fernando Dias, had claimed victory. Dias was supported by former Prime Minister Domingos Pereira, who had been disqualified from running.
Late on Wednesday afternoon, Embaló told France 24 in a phone call: 'I have been deposed.' Government sources have since told the BBC that Dias, Pereira, and Interior Minister Botché Candé have also been detained. The putschists have taken army chief Gen Biague Na Ntan and his deputy, Gen Mamadou Touré, into custody too.
Witnesses in Bissau heard gunfire earlier on, at around 13:00 GMT, but it was not immediately clear who was involved in the shooting or if there were any casualties. Hundreds of people on foot and in vehicles fled, seeking shelter as the shots rang out, the AFP news agency reported. Later on, General Denis N'Canha, head of the military household at the presidential palace, read out a statement declaring a takeover.
He said officers had formed 'the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order' and instructed the population to 'remain calm'. Checkpoints have been erected across Bissau, and the streets were deserted ahead of the curfew that was due to start at 19:00 GMT. Portugal has called for a return to constitutional order, urging 'all those involved to refrain from any act of institutional or civic violence'. The former Portuguese colony has witnessed at least nine coups or attempted coups over the last five decades.
Embaló, who was elected in December 2019, has claimed to have survived multiple coup attempts during his time in office, but critics allege he has fabricated crises to crack down on dissent. The 53-year-old had aimed to be the first president in 30 years to secure a second consecutive term. His legitimacy was questioned, with the opposition stating his term should have officially ended in February 2025.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries globally, with a population of over two million. Its coastline, dotted with uninhabited islands, is ideal for drug traffickers, leading the UN to label it a 'narco-state' as it serves as a critical transit point for cocaine from Latin America heading to Europe.
They said they were acting to thwart a plot by unnamed politicians who had 'the support of a well-known drug baron' to destabilise the country, and announced the closure of its borders and imposed a night-time curfew.
Sandwiched between Senegal and Guinea, the coup-prone country is known as a notorious drug-trafficking hub where the military has been influential since independence from Portugal in 1974. The election results were expected on Thursday - both Embaló and his closest rival, Fernando Dias, had claimed victory. Dias was supported by former Prime Minister Domingos Pereira, who had been disqualified from running.
Late on Wednesday afternoon, Embaló told France 24 in a phone call: 'I have been deposed.' Government sources have since told the BBC that Dias, Pereira, and Interior Minister Botché Candé have also been detained. The putschists have taken army chief Gen Biague Na Ntan and his deputy, Gen Mamadou Touré, into custody too.
Witnesses in Bissau heard gunfire earlier on, at around 13:00 GMT, but it was not immediately clear who was involved in the shooting or if there were any casualties. Hundreds of people on foot and in vehicles fled, seeking shelter as the shots rang out, the AFP news agency reported. Later on, General Denis N'Canha, head of the military household at the presidential palace, read out a statement declaring a takeover.
He said officers had formed 'the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order' and instructed the population to 'remain calm'. Checkpoints have been erected across Bissau, and the streets were deserted ahead of the curfew that was due to start at 19:00 GMT. Portugal has called for a return to constitutional order, urging 'all those involved to refrain from any act of institutional or civic violence'. The former Portuguese colony has witnessed at least nine coups or attempted coups over the last five decades.
Embaló, who was elected in December 2019, has claimed to have survived multiple coup attempts during his time in office, but critics allege he has fabricated crises to crack down on dissent. The 53-year-old had aimed to be the first president in 30 years to secure a second consecutive term. His legitimacy was questioned, with the opposition stating his term should have officially ended in February 2025.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries globally, with a population of over two million. Its coastline, dotted with uninhabited islands, is ideal for drug traffickers, leading the UN to label it a 'narco-state' as it serves as a critical transit point for cocaine from Latin America heading to Europe.
