فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Bissau – November 26, 2025
A group of army officers in Guinea-Bissau announced today, Wednesday, “complete control” of the country “until further notice,” following the arrest of outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló inside the presidential palace in the capital Bissau, with the suspension of the electoral process and closure of air and land borders. This coup comes less than 72 hours after presidential and legislative elections were held last Sunday, amid acute political tension resulting from both President Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias declaring victory in the presidential race.
Event Details: Gunfire and High-Level Arrests
Heavy gunfire was heard around midday near the presidential palace and the headquarters of the National Electoral Commission, where men in military uniforms took control of the main road leading to government buildings. President Embaló, in a statement to “Jeune Afrique” magazine, confirmed that he was arrested inside his office without being subjected to any violence, indicating that the army chief of staff was the main person involved in the execution. The arrests also included the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Biague Na Ntan, Deputy Chief of Staff General Mamadu Ture, and Interior Minister Botche Cande.
The military read an official statement at army command headquarters in the capital, announcing the suspension of elections, closure of airspace and borders, and “complete control” of government institutions, pending election results to be announced next Thursday.
Political Context: Electoral Crisis and History of Coups
The coup came in the wake of controversial elections, where the main opposition party PAIGC and its leader Domingos Simões Pereira were excluded from the race by a judicial decision, sparking widespread protests. It should be noted that the 2019 elections witnessed a crisis that lasted four months due to both Embaló and Pereira declaring victory, leading to violent tensions. The head of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) observer mission praised the peaceful conduct of voting, but tensions suddenly escalated.
Guinea-Bissau, the small coastal nation between Senegal and Guinea, is one of the poorest countries in the world and a major hub for drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe, amid chronic political instability that has seen at least nine coups since its independence from Portugal in 1974, four of which were successful.
International Reactions: Concern from the African Union and ECOWAS
The African Union expressed “deep concern,” indicating it would suspend Guinea-Bissau’s membership if the coup is confirmed, as it previously did with Madagascar. ECOWAS also called for respecting electoral results and releasing the detained president. In a tweet on platform X, Agence France-Presse posted a video showing officers announcing control, with images of gunfire near the palace.
This coup is the latest in a series of political upheavals in West Africa, as the region has witnessed coups in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso in recent years, raising concerns about broader regional impact on security and economic stability.
