Former President Goodluck Jonathan is currently stranded in Guinea-Bissau following a sudden military takeover that has thrown the country into chaos.
Jonathan, who arrived in the West African nation as the head of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) election observer mission, has been unable to leave along with hundreds of other foreign observers after soldiers announced they were taking control of the country.
According to Daily Trust, many of the observers rushed to the airport once news of the coup broke, but flights were halted as military officers shut down movement within the country.
The tension escalated on Wednesday when a group of officers identifying themselves as the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” declared they had assumed “total control” of Guinea-Bissau. Their announcement came just a day after both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias publicly claimed victory despite the electoral commission not yet releasing official results.
The coup leaders ordered an immediate suspension of the electoral process, imposed a nationwide curfew, and shut all land, air, and sea borders. Reports also indicate attempts to cut off internet access.
In a phone interview with France24, President Embaló said, “I have been deposed,” adding that he was being held at the military general staff headquarters. The head of the opposition PAIGC party, Domingos Simões Pereira, has also reportedly been arrested.
Haque, a political analyst speaking on the unfolding situation, claimed the coup was being led by Denis N’Canha, a senior officer who previously headed the presidential guard. “The man supposed to protect the president has put him under arrest,” he said.
Goodluck Jonathan had announced his arrival in Bissau earlier in the week, expressing hope for peaceful and transparent elections. On election day, he posted updates showing the observer team visiting polling stations across the capital.
But with the sudden coup, the former Nigerian president and his team now remain stuck in the country as uncertainty continues to grow.