A group of military officers in Guinea-Bissau has declared that they have taken “total control” of the country, a day after the two leading presidential candidates each claimed victory in a tightly contested election.
Calling themselves the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order, the officers appeared on national television on Wednesday to announce the immediate suspension of the electoral process “until further notice”.
They also ordered the closure of all land, air and sea borders, along with the imposition of an overnight curfew.
The announcement came shortly after sustained gunfire was heard near the election commission headquarters, the presidential palace, and the Ministry of the Interior in the capital, Bissau.
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was seeking re-election, told France24 by phone: “I have been deposed.” He said he was “currently at the general staff headquarters”.
Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque, reporting from neighbouring Senegal, said Embaló was under arrest.
The head of the main opposition PAIGC party, Domingos Simões Pereira, has also been arrested, Haque reported.
“There’s a curfew in place, and we’ve just heard that the military is attempting to cut off the internet,” he added.
According to Haque, the officer leading the coup, Denis N’Canha, previously served as head of the presidential guard.
“The man supposed to protect the president has now placed him under arrest,” he said.
Disputed Election
Sunday’s presidential vote pitted Embaló against his main challenger, Fernando Dias. The results were expected to be announced on Thursday.
However, the election’s legitimacy had already come under scrutiny. Civil society groups and observers questioned the process after the PAIGC party was barred from participating.
“There was going to be a stalemate over who would win this election, and that is when the military stepped in,” Haque said.
Both Embaló and Dias declared victory without providing clear evidence.
Embalo’s spokesperson, Oscar Barbosa, told AFP on Tuesday that there would be no second round, insisting the president had secured “a second mandate”.
Dias also proclaimed victory, saying in a social media video: “This election has been won. It has been won in the first round.”
In a statement on Wednesday, the Portuguese government urged all parties to avoid “any act of institutional or civic violence” and said Guinea-Bissau’s institutions must function to finalise the electoral process.
Guinea-Bissau has endured repeated coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.
Its last presidential election in 2019 triggered a four-month crisis, during which both main candidates claimed victory.