In a dramatic turn of events, the military in Guinea-Bissau has sworn in Horta Nta Na Man as transitional president, a day after soldiers deposed the country’s elected leader and seized full control of state institutions.
The takeover unfolded on Wednesday, when a group of military officers — identifying themselves as the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order — declared they had assumed power, citing alleged threats to national security and political instability.
Gunfire rang out near the capital’s presidential palace, the electoral commission headquarters, and other government buildings, prompting widespread disruption in Bissau.
On Thursday, amid heavy security and the presence of senior military brass, Horta Nta Na Man took the oath of office in a low-key ceremony at the army headquarters. He pledged to lead a one-year transitional administration, assuming the dual role of head of state and chairman of the military high command.
In his inaugural address, he said the military intervention was justified to forestall “disintegration of the state,” citing longstanding challenges such as drug trafficking and political patronage.
The coup comes on the heels of a fiercely contested national election, where both the incumbent president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, claimed victory just before results were due to be announced.
The military takeover has effectively suspended the electoral process, with borders closed, media activities halted, and an overnight curfew imposed.
In the immediate aftermath, banks, businesses and public institutions remained shut in the capital as residents stayed indoors under tense calm.
The deposed president, Embaló, confirmed his removal in a call with foreign media and said he believed he was arrested by elements within the army earlier in the day.
Regional bodies wasted no time in condemning the takeover. The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) denounced the coup, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of detained officials and urging the restoration of constitutional order.
Meanwhile, several international partners have expressed deep concern over the abrupt derailment of the electoral process and the return of military rule in a country long plagued by instability.
Guinea-Bissau’s history is marked by a painful pattern of coups and political upheavals dating back to its independence in 1974 — this latest intervention marks yet another chapter in a long cycle of governance crises.
