A military spokesman provided information about events in Guinea-Bissau on November 26th.Image: keystone
November 26, 2025, 7:58 p.mNovember 26, 2025, 7:58 p.m
The military says it has taken power in the West African coastal state of Guinea-Bissau. The country’s president has been deposed and all institutions as well as land and sea borders have been temporarily closed, according to a statement from a group of officers, which was broadcast on the Facebook channel of the state television station TGB, among others.
The military takeover was necessary after the high command uncovered a plan to manipulate elections and destabilize the country, said the group’s spokesman, General Denis N’Canha. Politicians and a well-known drug lord were involved in the plan. “The High Command of the Armed Forces for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order decides to immediately remove the President of the Republic,” he added.
The military will take over state power “until the necessary conditions for the restoration of constitutional normality” are in place, N’Canha continued. «Until further notice, all activities of media organs are suspended. The ongoing election process will be suspended immediately,” said the spokesman. The officers also imposed a nighttime curfew.
Shots and arrests
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló had previously told the French magazine Jeune Afrique that he, as well as the interior minister and the chiefs of staff of the armed forces, had been arrested in the presidential palace. But no violence was done to him. Shots were heard in the capital Bissau.
Overdue presidential and parliamentary elections took place on Sunday. Both Embaló and his most promising challenger, Fernando Dias, then declared themselves winners. The results of the peaceful vote were due to be published by Thursday.
Incumbent President Sissoco Embaló will cast his vote on November 23rd. He has now been arrested by the coup plotters.Image: AP
The former general Embaló (53) has been in power since 2020 and dissolved parliament at the end of 2023. His term expired months ago. Critics accuse him of suppressing opposition figures, journalists and human rights activists. The main opposition party was excluded from the election and supported the independent candidate Dias.
Transit country for cocaine smuggling
Guinea-Bissau, with around 2.2 million inhabitants in an area almost equivalent to that of Switzerland, is one of the poorest countries in the world. The former Portuguese colony has experienced several coups and attempted coups since its independence in 1974. The military has been heavily involved in politics for many years.
The country on the Atlantic has mineral resources such as gold, gas and bauxite, but agriculture is considered the largest source of foreign currency. The small tropical country also has a reputation for being a hub for cocaine smuggling between Latin America and Europe. The NGO Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime recently described the sector there as more profitable than ever before. “The cocaine economy is inextricably linked to the Machiavellian politics of the tiny West African state,” the experts wrote in a recent report.
Coups have been occurring more frequently in West and Central Africa for several years. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Chad and Gabon have experienced unconstitutional military takeovers since 2020. There have been attempted coups in several other countries. (sda/dpa)