Military takes power in Guinea-Bissau, three days after elections

Military forces took power in Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday, three days after elections in the West African country. A group of soldiers made this statement on state television on Wednesday, after several international media reported shots fired near the presidential palace.

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has been arrested, he said French media. According to Embalo, the coup was led by the army chief of staff. Around noon, men in uniform entered the palace, the French-language newspaper wrote Jeune Africa. The roads to the palace are cordoned off and checkpoints are manned by heavily armed soldiers, a journalist from the AP news agency saw.

Elections were held on Sunday in Guinea-Bissau, which borders Senegal. The preliminary results were expected on Thursday. Both current president Embalo and his main challenger Fernando Dias da Costa claimed victory. Dias da Costa has also been arrested, various media report.

In a statement on state television, spokesman Dinis N’Tchama said that soldiers have deposed the president, borders with neighboring countries have been closed and a curfew has been imposed. The elections have also been suspended. N’Tchama claimed that the military acted because of the “discovery” of a plot “set up by some national politicians and with the collaboration of a known drug lord” with the aim of destabilizing the country. There is also alleged to have been a plan to manipulate the elections. N’Tchama did not provide further details.

Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world and has more than 2 million inhabitants. The country, like many other countries on the West African coast, serves as a major hub for drug smuggling between South America and Europe. Since the country gained independence from colonizer Portugal in 1974, there have been four coups and several attempted coups, according to AP. The last coup attempt was a month ago.

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