BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau — An army general was sworn in Thursday as Guinea-Bissau’s new head of state, a day after an apparent coup halted the release of presidential election results and plunged the West African nation into fresh political turmoil.
Gen. Horta N’Tam, formerly the head of the presidential guard, took the oath in brief proceedings at army headquarters. He was named transitional president for one year and maintained a stern, unsmiling demeanor as he stood flanked by officers for cameras.
His sudden rise followed a wave of accusations and confusion in the capital. Some civil society groups have accused outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of orchestrating what they called a “simulated coup” against himself to prevent the publication of results that were expected Thursday.
“This manoeuvre aims to prevent the publication of the electoral results scheduled for tomorrow, November 27,” the civil society coalition Popular Front said in a statement Wednesday.
Fernando Dias, Embaló’s closest challenger, echoed the allegations. Embaló has not responded. He has previously claimed to have survived multiple coup attempts, while critics have accused him of fabricating crises to suppress dissent.
The military suspended the electoral process late Wednesday and blocked the release of results from Sunday’s vote. An unnamed military source told AFP the president was being held at army staff headquarters, where he was “well-treated.”
African Union chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for “the immediate and unconditional release of President Embaló and all detained officials.” He urged the country’s leaders to respect the halted electoral process.
Gunfire was heard in Bissau on Wednesday as military officers announced they had seized power. Appearing on state TV, they declared the borders closed, imposed a night curfew and accused unnamed politicians, allegedly backed by a “well-known drug baron,” of plotting to destabilize the state.
Government sources later told the BBC that Dias, former Prime Minister Domingos Pereira and Interior Minister Botché Candé had been arrested. Army chief Gen. Biague Na Ntan and his deputy, Gen. Mamadou Touré, were also detained.
Election observer missions from the African Union and West African bloc Ecowas expressed “deep concern” over the military’s announcement.
“It’s regrettable that this announcement came at a time when the missions had just concluded meeting with the two leading presidential candidates, who assured us of their willingness to accept the will of the people,” the observers said.
Portugal, Guinea-Bissau’s former colonial ruler, urged a return to constitutional order and called on all actors to avoid violence.
By Thursday, AFP reported the country’s borders had reopened.
Embaló, 53, had hoped to become the first Guinea-Bissau president in three decades to win a second consecutive term. His legitimacy had been questioned ahead of the delayed polls, with opposition groups saying his mandate should have ended in February 2025.
Guinea-Bissau, wedged between Senegal and Guinea, has endured at least nine coups or attempted coups since independence from Portugal in 1974. The country of more than two million people has long been labeled a “narco-state” by the United Nations, serving as a key transit hub for Latin American cocaine headed to Europe.
