President Embaló arrested by soldiers as Guinea-Bissau awaits election outcome

A faction within Guinea-Bissau’s military has detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló amid heightened tensions over the still-unannounced presidential election results.

Uncertainty intensified in the country on Wednesday when armed soldiers stormed the presidential palace at midday and arrested Embaló. The incident comes only a few days after the November 23 presidential poll, with official results expected to be declared on Thursday.

Speaking to Jeune Afrique, Embaló confirmed he had been taken from his office at the palace, stressing that no force was used against him. Despite that, eyewitnesses and security sources reported hearing gunshots near both the palace and the national electoral commission earlier in the day.

The president was not the only target. Chief of Defence Staff General Biague Na Ntan, his deputy General Mamadou Touré, and Interior Minister Botché Candé were also arrested by the same group within the armed forces. Embaló labelled the incident a coup, accusing the head of the army’s land forces of leading the action against him.

Political tensions had been mounting ahead of the announcement of the results. Although the electoral commission had not yet made any declaration, Embaló’s supporters asserted that he had secured 65% of the vote based on their own count. Meanwhile, his main challenger, Fernando Dias da Costa, considered a rising political figure also claimed victory, deepening uncertainty ahead of Thursday’s planned announcement.

Guinea-Bissau has a long history of coups and attempted coups since gaining independence, and analysts warn that this latest development risks plunging the country back into crisis. ECOWAS and the African Union are expected to comment as the situation unfolds.

The president’s current location is unknown, and divisions within the military command structure have become evident. With rival camps both declaring success in the election and the military now playing a decisive role, the immediate future will show whether the country turns toward negotiation or spirals into greater instability.