On November 26, 2025, the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau was thrust into yet another political crisis as a group of military officers, styling themselves the "High Military Command for the Restoration of Order," declared that they had seized control of the country. The announcement, made live on state television, came just days after a tense and disputed presidential election and amid the sound of gunfire echoing through the capital, Bissau. The military's move has not only suspended the ongoing electoral process but has also deepened uncertainty in a country long plagued by coups and chronic instability.
The events unfolded rapidly. On Sunday, November 23, Guinea-Bissau held presidential and legislative elections. The official results were not expected until Thursday, November 27. However, both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, prematurely declared victory, each claiming to have won the election outright. According to Al Jazeera, Embaló's campaign spokesperson Oscar Barbosa confidently stated, "There won't be a second round... the president will have a second mandate." Meanwhile, Dias posted a video on social media asserting, "This election has been won. It has been won in the first round."
The legitimacy of the election was already under question. Civil society groups and international observers noted that the main opposition party, PAIGC, had been barred from running, raising concerns about the fairness of the contest. As tensions simmered, gunfire erupted near key government buildings in Bissau on Wednesday, November 26. Witnesses described hearing sustained shooting near the election commission's headquarters, the presidential palace, and the Ministry of the Interior. Hundreds of residents fled the area, seeking shelter as chaos unfolded, AFP reported.
Shortly after the gunfire, the military made its move. General Denis N'Canha, head of the presidential guard, appeared on state television flanked by other officers. Reading a statement, he declared that the army had taken "total control" of Guinea-Bissau, suspended the electoral process "until further notice," and ordered the closure of all land, air, and sea borders. An overnight curfew was imposed starting at 19:00 GMT, and checkpoints quickly sprang up across the capital, leaving the streets eerily deserted.
The military justified their actions by claiming to have uncovered a plot by unnamed politicians, allegedly supported by a "well-known drug baron," to destabilize the country by manipulating the election results. Dinis N'Tchama, a military spokesperson, stated on national TV, "The High Military Command for the reestablishment of national and public order decides to immediately depose the president of the republic, to suspend, until new orders, all of the institutions of the republic of Guinea-Bissau." He further asserted that the alleged scheme involved "some national politicians with the participation of a well-known drug lord, and domestic and foreign nationals." No further details or evidence were provided.
President Embaló, speaking by phone to France24, confirmed his deposition: "I have been deposed." He said he was being held at the general staff headquarters but was not subjected to violence. Government sources told the BBC that opposition candidate Fernando Dias, former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, Interior Minister Botché Candé, army chief Gen Biague Na Ntan, and his deputy Gen Mamadou Touré were also detained. The head of the national electoral commission was reportedly arrested, and the commission's offices sealed off by soldiers, according to an international election observer cited by Associated Press.
Guinea-Bissau's history is riddled with coups and attempted coups—at least nine since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1974. The military has long played an outsized role in political affairs, and the nation has developed a reputation as a "narco-state," serving as a key transit point for cocaine trafficked from Latin America to Europe. The United Nations has repeatedly warned about the corrosive effects of drug trafficking on Guinea-Bissau's institutions and governance.
International and regional bodies reacted swiftly to the unfolding crisis. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over what they called a "blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process." The observer missions, which included former presidents from Mozambique and Nigeria, called for the immediate release of detained officials and urged the restoration of constitutional order. "It’s regrettable that this [coup] announcement came at a time when the missions had just concluded meeting with the two leading presidential candidates, who assured us of their willingness to accept the will of the people," the statement read.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also weighed in, with spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric telling reporters in New York that the UN chief was following the situation "with deep concern" and appealed "to all national stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau to exercise restraint and respect the rule of law." The Portuguese government, reflecting on its historical ties to the former colony, called for all parties to refrain from "any act of institutional or civic violence" and insisted that Guinea-Bissau's state institutions must be allowed to function in order to finalize the electoral process.
While the military insisted their intervention was necessary to prevent chaos and manipulation, some in civil society voiced skepticism. The Popular Front, a coalition of civil society organizations, accused Embaló and the army of staging a "simulated coup" to block the release of election results and cling to power. "This maneuver aims to prevent the publication of the electoral results scheduled for tomorrow, Nov. 27," the group asserted in a statement quoted by NPR. They alleged that Embaló intended to name a new president and interim prime minister, then call fresh elections in which he would again be a candidate.
Guinea-Bissau is not alone in facing such turmoil. The region has witnessed a wave of military takeovers since 2020, with Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Gabon all experiencing coups. In each case, military leaders have claimed to act in the interests of stability and security, often citing corruption or threats to national integrity. Yet, for ordinary citizens, the result has often been more uncertainty, economic hardship, and a sense of déjà vu as democratic processes are derailed.
For now, Guinea-Bissau's future hangs in the balance. With its borders sealed, curfew in place, and key political figures detained, the country faces yet another test of its fragile democracy. As international pressure mounts and regional actors call for a return to constitutional rule, the people of Guinea-Bissau are left to wonder when—if ever—the cycle of coups and contested elections will finally be broken.
