Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló says he has been arrested by senior military figures in a suspected coup attempt amid tension over disputed election results.
Embaló told Jeune Afrique that he was detained on Wednesday, 26 November, at about 1 p.m. while inside his office at the presidential palace.
He had declared victory in Sunday’s presidential election, claiming 65% of the vote based on figures compiled by his team.
Also arrested were the armed forces’ chief of staff, General Biaguê Na Ntan; the deputy chief of staff, General Mamadou Touré; and the interior minister, Botché Candé.
Embaló said no force was used against him, alleging that the operation was led by the army chief of staff and constituted a coup attempt.
The detentions unfolded as unrest was reported in the capital, where journalists and witnesses reported gunfire near the headquarters of the National Electoral Commission (CNE).
According to Reuters, reporters monitoring the vote count said they were forced to hide inside the commission’s offices as shots rang out and residents fled the area in panic.
The crisis follows a fiercely contested election in which both Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias de Costa have claimed victory, despite provisional results not expected until Thursday.
These claims have heightened political divisions in a country long marked by coups and military involvement in governance.
The incident shows deeper fractures within Guinea-Bissau’s political system, which has been strained by Embaló’s confrontations with parliament and his decision to dissolve it in 2022.
His efforts to consolidate power and restructure security institutions reportedly contributed to growing mistrust within the armed forces.