US EditionMilitary Seizes Power in Guinea-Bissau, Arrests President
- On Wednesday, November 26, 2025, army officers said they had seized power and announced the takeover on state television, while outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was arrested, government sources reported.
- A disputed presidential contest in which both main contenders claimed victory prompted the context for the takeover, which came three days after the national elections and one day before provisional results were due.
- Witnesses in Bissau said roads to the palace were closed and armed checkpoints appeared, gunfire at around 13:00 GMT near the electoral commission headquarters forced hundreds to flee, and fighting stopped by 1400 GMT, a Reuters journalist said.
- Suspending the vote count, the military closed the country's borders and declared control, announcing it suspended the electoral process and formed the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order.
- The takeover fits a pattern in a country that has experienced multiple coups since 1980, with nine coups or attempted coups and recent attempts against Embaló including one in December 2023 in Guinea-Bissau, a nation with a population just under two million.
127 Articles
127 Articles
Military officers in Guinea-Bissau say they seized 'total control' in coup
Military officers said they seized “total control” in Guinea-Bissau after arresting the president, following a contentious election. Gunfire erupted near the presidential palace in the capital of Bissau on Wednesday. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was quickly arrested by the military, who detained him at the general staff headquarters. A military source told AFP that he was being “well-treated.” After his arrest, Brig. Gen. Denis N’Canha, milita…
Military commanders in Guinea-Bissau say they have taken full control of the country, following reports of gunfire in the capital Bissau. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló confirms in a telephone interview with the television channel France 24 that he has been ousted.
Shortly after an election, the military is making a coup d'état in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa - and calls election manipulation and destabilization a reason.
In Guinea-Bissau, the military abruptly claimed power on Wednesday, halting the electoral process and closing its borders. Gunfire erupted near the presidential palace in the capital, Bissau, sending citizens into panic. The whereabouts of President Umaro Sissoko Embalo remain unknown. The situation has worsened following the recent disputed elections.
A few days after an election, events in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa are overturning. A group of military officers now wants to have taken over power.
The calm of the presidential and legislative elections held last Sunday lasted until the military officers of Guinea-Bissau declared that they had taken “total control” of the country. Guinea-Bissau military officers announced on Wednesday that President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was deposed and that all State institutions were suspended until further notice, claiming the need to “clarify the situation” before returning to constitutional order. Earli…
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