HIBAPRESS
A group of military personnel in Guinea-Bissau announced today, Wednesday, their complete control of the country until further notice, after the arrest of outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embalo inside the Presidential Palace in the capital, Bissau.
The military confirmed their control over the entire territory, announcing the suspension of the electoral process and the closure of borders, pending the results of the presidential and legislative elections held on Sunday. This came after gunshots were heard near the Presidential Palace, where men in military uniforms spread out on the main road leading to the palace, in a West African country that has witnessed frequent political unrest since independence, including four coups and numerous coup attempts. In a statement from the army headquarters in the capital, the military confirmed their control of the situation. For his part, President Embalo told "Jeune Afrique" magazine that he was arrested on Wednesday afternoon inside his office at the Presidential Palace, indicating that he was not subjected to any violence, and that the coup was orchestrated by the Chief of Staff of the Army. Also arrested were the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Biague Na Ntan, Deputy Chief of Staff, General Mamadu Toure, and Interior Minister Botche Cande. Local sources reported hearing gunfire near the Presidential Palace and the offices of the Electoral Commission, while military reinforcements were seen along the main road leading to the palace. These events come amid anticipation of the preliminary results of the elections scheduled for Thursday, amid increasing political tensions after both President Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias separately declared their victory, increasing the likelihood of the country entering a new political crisis. It is worth noting that the 2019 elections witnessed a four-month crisis after Embalo and Pereira both declared their victory at the same time. The head of the ECOWAS observation mission praised on Tuesday the "peaceful conduct" of the election before tensions escalated again. Guinea-Bissau, one of the world's poorest countries, is a major hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, amid a state of chronic political instability.
