Military Seizes Power in Guinea-Bissau After Disputed Election

One day after Guinea-Bissau’s two leading presidential candidates each claimed victory in a tense and disputed election, a group of military officials  appeared on state television declaring that they had taken “total control” of the country. Identifying themselves as the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order,” the officers announced the suspension of the electoral process “until further notice,” the closure of all borders and the imposition of an overnight curfew.

The statement followed hours of sustained gunfire near key government sites in Bissau, including the election commission headquarters, the presidential palace and the Ministry of the Interior. The results of Sunday’s vote — expected on Thursday — never arrived. Instead, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was arrested, alongside Domingos Simoes Pereira, head of the PAIGC, the main opposition party barred from contesting the election.

The coup is being led by Denis N’Canha, the commander of the presidential guard, whose role under normal circumstances is to protect the president. His involvement has drawn particular attention in a country long accustomed to shifting loyalties within its security ranks. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced numerous coups and attempted coups, including one as recently as October, when several officers — among them senior commanders — were arrested after an alleged plot led by Brigadier General Dahaba Nawalna. Embalo himself survived a previous attempt in December 2023.

This week’s events unfold against a backdrop of political uncertainty. Embalo’s mandate has been disputed for months, with the opposition insisting his term ended in February and the Supreme Court maintaining that it expires in September. A mediation mission from ECOWAS withdrew from the country earlier this year, saying it had been threatened with expulsion by the president. In March, Embalo reversed his earlier promise not to seek re-election and joined the November race. Both he and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, declared victory on 25 November, ahead of official results and despite concerns raised by civil society groups about the election’s credibility.

International observers, including representatives of ECOWAS, the African Union and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, expressed concern over the military takeover. In a joint statement, they described the coup as “regrettable”, noting that both leading candidates had assured them they would respect the vote’s outcome. They called for the immediate release of detained officials and urged the armed forces to allow the electoral process to reach its conclusion. The United Nations echoed those concerns, with Secretary-General António Guterres appealing for restraint and respect for the rule of law. Portugal urged all parties to avoid “institutional or civic violence” and emphasised that state institutions must be allowed to function.

The developments in Guinea-Bissau add to a growing list of military takeovers across West Africa, where countries including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger remain under military rule. As of late 2025, seven nations on the continent are governed by juntas, each citing corruption, insecurity or political paralysis as justification for stepping in. Despite those claims, coups remain unconstitutional and frequently deepen, rather than resolve, political instability.

Analysts say the region faces a critical period as democratic institutions come under increasing strain. While international bodies have consistently condemned military takeovers, the responses have done little to shift the trajectory. With economic pressures mounting and insecurity complicating governance, concerns are growing that elections — already fragile in many countries — may become further undermined by the normalisation of military intervention.

For Guinea-Bissau, the immediate priority remains the restoration of constitutional order and clarity about the fate of its detained leaders. But the broader question hangs over the region: whether West Africa can halt its democratic backsliding before military rule becomes entrenched once again. 

With little likelihood of decisive external intervention at a time when African nations face mounting anti-immigration rhetoric and shrinking goodwill from Western governments, the responsibility to safeguard democratic institutions rests squarely on the continent itself. Military takeovers cannot become routine at this point in the continent’s development, and democracy cannot be allowed to disappear quietly in the face of political stalemates and armed intervention.