Military officers in Guinea-Bissau have announced they are taking full control of the country, closing borders, suspending elections, shutting down media, and imposing a curfew just days after a tense presidential vote. The declaration followed heavy gunfire near the presidential palace and the takeover of key roads by soldiers.
It remains unclear whether incumbent president Umaro Sissoco Embalo—who, along with opposition candidate Fernando Dias, had already claimed victory—has been detained. The military alleges it uncovered a plot involving local drug traffickers to destabilise the country.
The National Electoral Commission was also attacked by unidentified gunmen. Guinea-Bissau, plagued by instability and drug trafficking, has a long history of coups. The 2025 election excluded the major opposition PAIGC party, a move the opposition calls manipulation, noting that Embalo has ruled by decree since dissolving parliament in 2023 and that his mandate expired in February.
