Guinea-Bissau Military Seizes Power as Disputed Election Spirals Into Crisis
Officers say they are closing borders and suspending poll as president and main rival both claim victory
Guinea-Bissau’s armed forces have declared that they are assuming “total control” of the country, plunging the small West African nation into yet another power struggle just days after a fiercely contested presidential vote.
In a statement delivered from army headquarters in Bissau and broadcast on state television, military officials announced that they were suspending the electoral process, shutting all borders, and installing a new command structure — the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order — to govern indefinitely. The move comes as both leading candidates insist they won Sunday’s election outright, throwing the nation into political paralysis.
Gunfire and confusion grip the capital
Hours before the military’s announcement, bursts of gunfire were reported near key government institutions, including the presidential palace, the interior ministry, and the electoral commission. The source of the gunfire remained unclear, but its timing deepened fears that the post-election standoff was slipping beyond civilian control.
The unrest adds to decades of volatility in Guinea-Bissau, where coups and attempted coups have shaped political life since the country broke from Portuguese rule in 1974. Despite its rich natural resources and strategic Atlantic coastline, Guinea-Bissau remains one of the world’s poorest nations, with an average income of under $1,000 a year.
A nation long scarred by the drug trade
Guinea-Bissau has struggled under the weight of fragility and corruption for years. In 2008, the United Nations formally classified the country as a “narco-state,” citing its strategic use by Colombian cartels moving cocaine into Europe. The country’s mangrove-lined coast and the remote Bijagós islands have long been seen as ideal, discreet landing points for traffickers moving product under the radar of international authorities.
Dueling victory claims deepen instability
Sunday’s vote was billed as a historic opportunity. Incumbent president Umaro Sissoco Embaló was attempting to secure what no leader has achieved in 30 years: a second term. But instead of clarity, the election delivered chaos. Both Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias immediately declared they had won — before any official results had been published.
The accusations escalated quickly. Embaló’s spokesperson alleged that gunmen tied to Dias were behind the morning gunfire. Allies of Dias countered with their own explosive claim — that the president staged the violence himself to manufacture a pretext for emergency rule. Neither side provided evidence.
The electoral commission had planned to release provisional results on Thursday. Whether that will still happen is now uncertain.
A long cycle of coups — real and alleged
Guinea-Bissau has experienced at least nine coups since independence — a staggering record for a nation of just 2.2 million people. Embaló, who took office in 2020, has repeatedly said he has survived at least three attempts to overthrow him, most recently this past October.
Yet critics accuse the president of weaponizing the specter of coups to consolidate power. A dramatic armed confrontation in December 2023 prompted Embaló to dissolve parliament, leaving the country without a functional legislature ever since.
What comes next
With the military now openly asserting authority, Guinea-Bissau faces yet another uncertain chapter. Whether the High Military Command intends to guide the nation back toward elections or entrench itself in power remains unknown. For now, the country is suspended between competing political narratives, economic hardship, and a deepening battle for legitimacy — a familiar and troubling crossroads for a nation long caught in the cycle of crisis.