The military in Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday announced that it had taken “total control” of the country, closing borders and suspending the electoral process three days after the general election.

The declaration came after heavy gunfire was heard near the presidential palace in Bissau, where soldiers blocked access roads. General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, said a joint command of all branches of the armed forces had taken over leadership “until further notice.”

President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was favoured to win Sunday’s election, was reportedly inside a building near military headquarters with top security officials, though it was unclear whether he had been detained. Both Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias had already declared themselves winners, with provisional results expected Thursday.

N’Canha claimed the military uncovered a plot involving drug traffickers aimed at destabilising the country and bringing in weapons to disrupt the constitutional order. He said the military had halted the entire electoral process, suspended all media programming, and imposed a nationwide curfew.

The National Electoral Commission was also attacked by unidentified armed men, officials said.

Guinea-Bissau has a long history of coups and political instability, having experienced four coups since independence. More than 6,780 security personnel, including ECOWAS forces, were deployed for the vote. The 2025 election excluded the main opposition PAIGC party after a Supreme Court ruling, a decision the opposition says was manipulated. The opposition also insists that Embaló’s term expired in February.

AFP