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Soldiers successful Guinea-Bissau connected Thursday (November 27, 2025) announced a caller junta leader, cementing a forceful takeover of powerfulness that began aft a disputed statesmanlike election, successful what the main absorption campaigner called a ploy to forestall him from taking implicit power.
The subject precocious bid successful the West African federation inaugurated Gen. Horta Inta-A arsenic the caput of the subject government, which volition oversee a one-year modulation period, according to a declaration broadcast connected authorities television.
Guinea-Bissau, 1 of the world’s poorest countries, has been dogged by coups and attempted coups since its independency from Portugal much than 50 years ago, including a coup effort successful October. The state of 2.2 cardinal radical is known arsenic a hub for cause trafficking betwixt Latin America and Europe, a inclination that experts accidental has fueled its governmental crises.
“The inability of governmental actors to stem the deterioration of the governmental clime yet prompted the involution of the equipped forces,” said Inta-A, who was the Army Chief of Staff until the coup and a adjacent state of deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
Mr. Embaló's whereabouts remained chartless connected Thursday (November 27, 2025). He told French media connected Wednesday (November 26, 2025) that helium was arrested by soldiers arsenic gunshots rang retired adjacent the statesmanlike palace.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf condemned the coup, calling for the respect of the electoral process and for the unconditional merchandise of President Embaló and different detained officials.
In a statement, Mr. Youssouf said the AU was acceptable to enactment with partners to reconstruct stableness and safeguard the antiauthoritarian process.
South Africa besides joined different African countries successful condemning the coup and called for “the contiguous restoration of ideology and completion of the electoral process.” France besides called for the respect for the law bid and ideology successful the country.
The Opposition, meanwhile, alleged Mr. Embaló had fabricated the coup to debar an predetermination decision successful Sunday's intimately contested statesmanlike vote.
The subject takeover and the reported apprehension of Mr. Embaló were “fabricated” to disrupt predetermination results expected connected Thursday (November 27, 2025), according to his rival Fernando Dias, who, similar Mr. Embaló, claimed to person won the vote.
The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims by Mr. Dias, a subordinate of the Social Renewal Party.
The Opposition African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, on with Mr. Dias, had called connected residents to signifier protests against the coup and request work of the predetermination results. But connected Thursday (November 27, 2025) morning, activities appeared to beryllium mean successful the superior Bissau, with businesses and nationalist transport gradually picking up.
The coup is the latest successful a surge of subject takeovers successful West Africa, wherever ideology precocious has been challenged by disputed elections that analysts accidental could embolden militaries.
It followed statesmanlike and legislative elections which were held astatine a captious clip for the African state arsenic Mr. Embaló, a 53-year-old erstwhile Army General, faced a legitimacy crisis. The Opposition said his tenure had agelong expired and refused to admit him arsenic President.
The coup and past ones successful Guinea-Bissau are tied to “how overmuch (state) institutions person been undermined and weakened,” said Beverly Ochieng, a elder information expert astatine the consultancy Control Risks. Under Mr. Embaló, she said, “the legislature was dissolved unilaterally, the judiciary was operating nether capacity, and determination were deep-seated sentiments astir governmental influence.”
Gunshots rang retired successful the main metropolis of Bissau connected Wednesday (November 26, 2025) conscionable days aft the tense statesmanlike election, which Mr. Embaló and Mr. Dias some claimed to person won.
In a country that has go acquainted successful the region, subject officers appeared connected authorities tv and claimed they had seized powerfulness portion the Election Commission’s bureau was sealed.
Mr. Dias, 47, said successful a video connection that helium escaped custody "through a backmost door” aft reports helium was arrested by soldiers. He vowed to combat back.
“Umaro mislaid the elections, and alternatively of accepting the result, helium fabricated a coup d’état,” Mr. Dias said. “Once again, we, we person been the people of a mendacious coup d’état. ... We volition liberate ourselves.”
The subject officers who announced they had deposed the President cited the “discovery of an ongoing plan... to manipulate electoral results," according to a spokesperson, Dinis N’Tchama, who was flanked by others during the televised statement.
The “scheme was acceptable up by immoderate nationalist politicians with the information of a well-known cause lord, and home and overseas nationals,” Mr. N’Tchama said.
