Militiamen Seize Power in Guinea-Bissau, Arrest President Amid Crisis Over Presidential Election.
Heavy gunfire erupted outside the presidential palace yesterday before military officers, led by General Denis N'Canha, took over key roads and buildings. N'Canha declared that his forces had assumed total control of Guinea-Bissau "until further notice", prompting concerns among international observers.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who won last Sunday's presidential election, was arrested and detained at the military headquarters. This move has sparked a wave of arrests, including opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira, who had been barred from running due to his party being excluded from the electoral process by the Supreme Court.
In a press release, N'Canha stated that his government uncovered plans to destabilize the country involving "national drug lords" with foreign backing. He also halted all media broadcasting and closed borders, in an effort to maintain control of the country's fragile democratic institutions.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries globally and faces a long history of instability due to coups and power struggles between rival factions. In recent years, the nation has struggled with repeated electoral crises, which have sparked widespread concern from regional organizations such as ECOWAS and the African Union.
Nations close to Guinea-Bissau also issued statements on the situation in their respective capacities. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged restraint among all parties involved, while Portugal called for a return of normalcy by discouraging any acts of institutional or civic violence.
Heavy gunfire erupted outside the presidential palace yesterday before military officers, led by General Denis N'Canha, took over key roads and buildings. N'Canha declared that his forces had assumed total control of Guinea-Bissau "until further notice", prompting concerns among international observers.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who won last Sunday's presidential election, was arrested and detained at the military headquarters. This move has sparked a wave of arrests, including opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira, who had been barred from running due to his party being excluded from the electoral process by the Supreme Court.
In a press release, N'Canha stated that his government uncovered plans to destabilize the country involving "national drug lords" with foreign backing. He also halted all media broadcasting and closed borders, in an effort to maintain control of the country's fragile democratic institutions.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries globally and faces a long history of instability due to coups and power struggles between rival factions. In recent years, the nation has struggled with repeated electoral crises, which have sparked widespread concern from regional organizations such as ECOWAS and the African Union.
Nations close to Guinea-Bissau also issued statements on the situation in their respective capacities. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged restraint among all parties involved, while Portugal called for a return of normalcy by discouraging any acts of institutional or civic violence.
just heard about what's happening in Guinea-Bissau and it's getting super crazy 
militiamen taking over the government and arresting the president like, what even is going on? 
i mean i know there are issues with instability and coups, but this is wild 
can't believe they're blaming "national drug lords" for the mess 
anyone have any info on what's really going down? 
. And for what? Some dude saying there are foreign-backed plans to destabilize the country? That sounds super suspicious but I'm also kinda hoping it's true so someone can just take charge and make everything better 
. The thing is, this country has been through so much instability already... does anyone think this is going to really solve anything or just lead to more problems in the long run? 
. On one hand, I get why General N'Canha is trying to take control – Guinea-Bissau's been a mess for ages, and someone needs to step in to stabilize the country, you know? 
But at the same time, arresting the president and opposition leader just feels so... dramatic 
. Are we sure he's not just trying to distract us from his own power grab? 
On the other hand, if there really is something shady going on, maybe someone should look into it... 
. Can't they just have a calm and peaceful election for once? 
opposition leader gets arrested too
national borders closed
let's hope that the international community can step in and provide some stability soon 
what about the allegations of foreign backing and national drug lords? that sounds like a recipe for disaster... how do we know who to trust here? 