Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the deposed president of Guinea-Bissau, arrived in Senegal after military forces overthrew his government this week. The regional bloc Ecowas successfully negotiated his transfer amidst rising tensions in the country.
The Senegalese foreign ministry confirmed his arrival via a chartered military flight late Thursday, indicating he is 'safe and sound.'
The military has since sworn in General Horta N'Tam as the new transitional leader, who will oversee the nation for a year. This coup unfolded just a day before election results were set to be announced, contributing to an atmosphere of instability.
The armed forces declared their actions were necessary to thwart a plot allegedly backed by a well-known drug baron. As a response, military authorities have halted the electoral process, implemented a curfew, and closed the nation's borders.
Guinea-Bissau, lying between Senegal and Guinea, has a tumultuous history marked by military influence since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. Both Embaló and his rival claimed victory in the recent elections, while reports indicate that key political figures, including Fernando Dias and Interior Minister Botché Candé, have been detained.
Tensions continue in Bissau, where many businesses remain shut and a heavy military presence is noted. The military junta aims to suppress any public dissent, declaring a ban on protests to maintain what they describe as peace and stability. International reactions include condemnation from both the African Union and Ecowas, along with calls for the restoration of constitutional governance from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
This coup marks yet another chapter in the nation's fraught political landscape, having experienced at least nine coups or attempted coups in the last five decades.
