Bissau, 26 November, 2025 / 11:47 pm (ACI Africa).
Guinea-Bissau has plunged into a new wave of uncertainty after soldiers reportedly seized power and detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, even as Catholic Priests from across West Africa appealed for serenity and respect for democratic processes in the tense post-election period.
On Wednesday, November 26, a group of army officers said they had seized power in the West African nation, a day before the planned announcement of results from the contested November 23 presidential election, Reuters reported.
Army officers in Guinea-Bissau announced on state television through their spokesperson, Diniz N’Tchama that they had removed President Embaló from power. They declared the electoral process suspended, closed the country’s borders, and imposed a nationwide curfew.
The officers claimed their intervention was intended to prevent an alleged scheme by certain politicians, reportedly backed by “a notorious drug trafficker,” aimed at creating instability in the country.
They further revealed the creation of a governing body called the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order,” which they said would oversee the nation’s affairs indefinitely, and instructed the population to “remain calm”.
