Military Seizes Power in Guinea-Bissau Amid Contested Election
This event follows a tense election period in which both the incumbent president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, and his principal rival, Fernando Dias, claimed victory.
According to Jeune Afrique, Embalo was apprehended in his office at the presidential palace during the “coup,” which he reportedly attributed to the army chief of staff.
The publication noted that sources reported gunfire around midday near both the palace and the electoral commission’s offices, while men in military uniforms positioned themselves along the main road leading to the presidency.
A representative for Embalo told a media outlet that unidentified gunmen had targeted the election commission in an effort to halt the release of the provisional election outcomes.
He alleged that the attackers were connected to Dias, though he did not present any proof to support the claim.
The presidential election took place on Sunday. Embalo reportedly asserted victory with 65% of the vote according to his campaign’s own tally, while Dias informed journalists at his campaign headquarters that a separate count indicated he had won more than 50%.
The election was generally reported as peaceful, though the main opposition party, PAIGC, along with its candidate, Domingos Simoes Pereira, were absent from the ballot. The official results are scheduled for release on Thursday.
In a televised announcement on Wednesday, the military declared that it had assumed control after uncovering what it described as a plot by Embalo to destabilize Guinea-Bissau.
The alleged scheme involved a prominent drug lord and an attempt to manipulate the election results.
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