On November 26, 2025, the small West African nation of Guinea-Bissau was thrust once again into the international spotlight as gunfire echoed near the presidential palace in the capital, Bissau. Within hours, a group of military officers appeared on state television, announcing that they had seized power and detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. By the following day, General Horta Inta-A, formerly the army’s chief of staff and a figure long considered close to Embaló, was sworn in as the transitional president and leader of the High Military Command. The military declared that Inta-A would oversee a one-year transition period, marking yet another chapter in the country’s turbulent political history.
This coup, while shocking, was not entirely unexpected. Guinea-Bissau, a nation of 2.2 million people perched on Africa’s Atlantic coast, has been plagued by coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal more than half a century ago. According to the Associated Press and AFP, this latest military intervention followed a fiercely disputed presidential election. Both Embaló, a 53-year-old former general, and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, a political newcomer, claimed victory before provisional results could be announced. Tensions soared as the opposition accused Embaló of seeking to cling to power after his term had expired, while supporters of the president alleged attempts at electoral manipulation.
As the dust settled, the military justified its actions by pointing to what it called “the discovery of an ongoing plan to manipulate electoral results,” a scheme allegedly involving politicians and a notorious drug lord, as reported by AP. Dinis N’Tchama, a spokesperson for the coup leaders, declared on television that the military’s intervention was necessary to restore order and protect the integrity of the electoral process. General Inta-A, in his first statement as transitional president, echoed this sentiment, saying, “The inability of political actors to stem the deterioration of the political climate ultimately prompted the intervention of the armed forces.” He added, “Necessary measures are urgent and important and require everyone’s participation.”
The immediate aftermath of the coup saw President Embaló arrested and detained. On November 27, he was flown to neighboring Senegal on a plane chartered by the Senegalese government. Senegal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had been in direct communication with all parties in Guinea-Bissau and pledged to work with international partners to restore democracy. The African Union and ECOWAS, West Africa’s regional bloc, swiftly condemned the coup and demanded the unconditional release of Embaló and other detained officials. Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, speaking as ECOWAS chairman, stated, “Our response will be firm, principled, and consistent with our history.” France and several other countries joined the chorus of condemnation, calling for respect for constitutional order and the electoral process.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Fernando Dias leveled a dramatic accusation: he claimed the coup was fabricated by Embaló himself to avoid defeat in the closely contested election. Dias, who said he had escaped arrest “through a back door,” insisted that the military takeover and Embaló’s arrest were orchestrated to disrupt the announcement of election results. The Associated Press could not independently verify Dias’s claims, but his assertion added another layer of intrigue to an already volatile situation. The military, for its part, banned public protests and any actions deemed disruptive to peace and stability in the country, as opposition groups called for demonstrations and the publication of the election results that had been scheduled for November 27.
Life in Bissau, at least on the surface, began to return to a tentative normalcy by Thursday. According to AP and AFP, businesses and public transport gradually resumed, though the streets remained under the watchful eye of heavily armed soldiers. An overnight curfew was lifted, but many residents chose to stay indoors, wary of further unrest. Banks and some businesses remained shuttered, reflecting the uncertainty that gripped the city.
This episode is the latest in a troubling trend across Africa. Since 2020, the continent has witnessed a surge of military coups and takeovers. Mali saw two coups in quick succession, with Colonel Assimi Goita ultimately installing himself as president and postponing elections until 2077. Burkina Faso experienced two coups in 2022, with Captain Ibrahim Traoré dissolving the independent electoral commission in July 2025. Niger’s General Abdourahamane Tchiani ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, sparking a crisis within ECOWAS and prompting a regional realignment. Gabon’s President Ali Bongo was deposed after a disputed election in 2023, with Brice Oligui Nguema taking power and later winning a presidential vote in April 2025. Even Madagascar was not spared, as protests over chronic water shortages and power outages led to a military takeover.
Guinea-Bissau’s own history is particularly fraught. The country has endured repeated coups, attempted coups, and political assassinations since independence. Analysts like Beverly Ochieng of the consultancy Control Risks point to the weakening of state institutions as a root cause. “Under Embaló, the legislature was dissolved unilaterally, the judiciary was operating under capacity, and there were deep-seated sentiments around political influence,” Ochieng told AP. The nation’s status as a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe has only exacerbated its instability, fueling corruption and power struggles at the highest levels.
International observers are now watching closely to see whether Guinea-Bissau’s military will honor its promise of a one-year transition to civilian rule. The military’s track record, both in Guinea-Bissau and across the region, has left many skeptical. The African Union, ECOWAS, and Western governments continue to demand the restoration of constitutional order, but their influence is limited in the face of entrenched military power and deep-seated political grievances.
For the people of Guinea-Bissau, the future remains uncertain. The city of Bissau may have returned to a semblance of calm, but beneath the surface, questions linger about the legitimacy of the new regime, the fate of the deposed president, and the prospects for genuine democratic governance. As one chapter closes and another begins, Guinea-Bissau stands at yet another crossroads in its long and troubled journey.
