In a dramatic turn of events that has once again thrust Guinea-Bissau onto the world stage, the West African nation experienced a military coup on November 26, 2025, just hours before disputed presidential election results were due to be announced. The ousted president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, found himself briefly detained before departing for neighboring Senegal, while General Horta N’Tam, the army chief, was swiftly sworn in as the country’s transitional leader for a one-year period. The rapid developments have left citizens anxious, international observers scrambling for answers, and the broader region on high alert.
The seeds of this crisis were sown on November 23, 2025, when Guinea-Bissau held both presidential and parliamentary elections. Incumbent Embalo, seeking a second term, faced off against his main challenger, Fernando Dias da Costa. Both men claimed victory based on early counts, setting the stage for a tense showdown. According to Central News, the capital Bissau soon became a theater of uncertainty, with gunfire erupting near government buildings and the military appearing on state television to announce it had taken power "until further notice." The constitution was suspended, institutions dissolved, and borders slammed shut. The military also imposed a curfew and halted the release of election results, stoking fears and confusion among the population.
Embalo, a former general himself, confirmed his deposition to the media while under detention. “I have been deposed,” he told France24 in a phone call, adding that he was “currently at the general staff headquarters.” Yet, questions quickly arose about the authenticity of the coup. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who was in Guinea-Bissau as a foreign election observer and was later evacuated, voiced serious doubts. Addressing journalists, Jonathan described the episode as a "ceremonial coup," suggesting it was orchestrated by Embalo himself to avoid defeat. “Not only announcing the coup, but Embaló, while the coup took place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world that he had been arrested. I mean, I’m a Nigerian close to 70 years, and I know how they keep heads of state when a coup takes place... Militaries don’t take over government and the sitting president that they overthrow would be allowed to be addressing press conferences and announcing that they are being arrested. Who is fooling who?” Jonathan said, as reported by The Nigerian News.
According to Jonathan, results from all nine regions had been collated and were ready for declaration when Embalo suddenly announced a coup. He urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to publish the results “as a matter of democratic integrity,” arguing, “They have the results because AU and ECOWAS officials were at all the regions when the results were collated. They cannot change those results. They should tally all those results and announce. They cannot force the military out. They must announce, let the world know who won that election. And they owe the world that responsibility.”
Meanwhile, the military justified its intervention by claiming it had uncovered a plot involving politicians and drug traffickers to undermine democracy and rig the vote. Brigadier General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, appeared on television to declare the takeover, citing the need to block operations threatening the constitutional order. General Horta N’Tam, now at the helm, stressed the urgency of “restoring order” and promised a one-year transition, though he offered little detail about the path forward.
Not everyone, however, bought into the military’s narrative. Opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa, who claims to have won about 52% of the vote, accused Embalo of orchestrating the coup to block unfavorable results. From hiding, Dias told reporters it was “not a real coup but a maneuver by Embalo to stay in power.” Supporters of Domingos Simoes Pereira, a former prime minister and opposition leader arrested during the coup, have demanded his release and the publication of election results.
The international community wasted no time in responding. ECOWAS suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies and facilitated Embalo’s safe exit to Senegal. Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, current ECOWAS chair, emphasized the bloc’s consistency in condemning “unlawful detention” and vowed a “firm” response. The African Union’s chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, condemned the takeover and demanded the immediate release of detainees, while the European Union called for a rapid return to constitutional order and the resumption of vote counting. Portugal, France, and Nigeria also denounced the coup, with Nigeria specifically demanding safety for election observers. On social media, the coup’s swift execution and its murky motives became the subject of intense debate, with one post noting, “Local voices say the coup aims to protect the ruling elite.”
Further complicating the narrative, some regional politicians have openly criticized Embalo’s leadership. Nigerian lawmaker Ikenga Ugochinyere defended the military’s intervention, arguing that Embalo had brought the coup upon himself by undermining democratic processes and disqualifying major opposition candidates. “Any illegal takeover of power, either by hijacking the democratic process, by manipulating the judiciary or parliament, or by military overthrow, is the same and illegal. Therefore, Guinea should start anew because the deposed President doesn’t have a legitimate claim, nor does the military,” Ugochinyere stated, as reported by Premium Times. He called on ECOWAS to facilitate new elections rather than restore the ousted government, criticizing regional bodies for failing to sanction African leaders who exclude opposition candidates.
For Guinea-Bissau’s roughly two million citizens, the coup is another chapter in a long saga of instability. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has experienced at least nine coups or coup attempts. Its reputation as a "narco-state"—a major transit point for cocaine moving from Latin America to Europe—has only deepened its political woes, with drug money reportedly fueling campaigns and corruption. The events of this week echo a wider pattern across West Africa, where militaries have toppled governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger amid disputed elections and persistent security threats.
As of November 28, 2025, the streets of Bissau remain tense but calm. Soldiers continue to patrol, many businesses are closed, and the military has banned protests. Borders have reopened, and the curfew has been lifted, but the sense of uncertainty lingers. International observers and local voices alike are demanding transparency and the release of election results, seeing this as the only way to restore legitimacy and trust.
In a nation accustomed to political crises, the latest upheaval has left many weary but still hoping for a future where democracy is more than just a fleeting promise.