The African Union has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Embaló following a sudden military takeover in the West African nation.
In a statement shared on his X handle, AU Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf strongly condemned the coup, calling for the release of Embaló and all detained government officials. The AU described the military’s actions as a direct assault on constitutional order.
The tension escalated on Wednesday when General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, announced that the armed forces had taken control of the country, citing an alleged plot involving “drug lords.” He claimed the plot included the smuggling of weapons into the country to disrupt democratic governance.
As part of the military takeover, the junta halted all electoral activities, suspended media operations, and imposed a nationwide curfew. All air, land, and sea borders were immediately sealed. However, on Thursday, General Lassana Mansali confirmed that borders had been reopened.
President Embaló—widely projected to win Sunday’s presidential election—was believed to be within a secure building behind military headquarters, accompanied by the chief of staff and the interior minister, according to a senior military source who spoke anonymously to AFP.
Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, has long struggled with political instability and is known as a major transit route for drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe. Stability and democratic consolidation were central themes of the ongoing electoral process now disrupted by the coup.
