Gunfire shattered the calm of Bissau on Wednesday as the West African nation of Guinea‑Bissau descended into chaos.
According to his own account, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was arrested around 1:00 p.m. inside the presidential palace in what he called a “coup d’état” orchestrated by the country’s army chief of staff.
Accompanying Embaló in custody were key security leaders: the armed forces’ chief of staff Biaguê Na Ntan, his deputy Mamadou Touré, and the interior minister Botché Candé.
Alongside these detentions, heavy gunfire was reported near the presidential palace, the capital’s National Electoral Commission building, and the interior ministry.
Residents and journalists described scenes of panic as streets were sealed off by soldiers and civilians fled the area.
The arrests come just days after general elections held on 23 November, a vote marked by deep division. Both Embaló and rival candidate Fernando Dias da Costa claimed victory, even though formal results were not yet due.
Embaló says he secured 65 % of the vote based on his team’s tally.
The sudden coup attempt or alleged coup underscores the chronic instability that has plagued Guinea-Bissau since independence in 1974. The country has witnessed nearly a dozen coups or attempted coups over the decades.
At the heart of the crisis is a contested election, a head-to-head victory claim, and the exclusion of the once-dominant opposition party from the ballot, moves critics argue weakened democratic legitimacy.
For now, with the president and his top security team detained and Bissau under heavy lockdown, the future remains uncertain.
