The Guinea-Bissau army announced on Thursday (27) the appointment of a general as interim president, one day after the coup derailed the ongoing electoral process in the Portuguese-speaking West African country.
“I have just taken the oath to lead the Supreme Command,” General Horta Ntam, who was until then Chief of the Army General Staff, said shortly after being sworn in at the Armed Forces Headquarters.
He stated, “Guinea Bissau is going through a very difficult period in its history. The necessary measures are urgent and important and require everyone’s participation.”
The group, which calls itself the “Supreme Military Command to Restore Order,” announced the appointment of the general as president and head of the coup military junta at a press conference in Bissau.
On Wednesday (26), junta leaders announced on state television the dismissal of President Omar Sissoko Embalo, the suspension of the electoral process, the closure of borders and the imposition of a curfew.
The democratic rift occurred one day before the expected announcement of the results of the presidential elections, which are disputed on suspicion of fraud. At the end of his term, both the president and his opponent, Fernando Dias de Costa, declared victory.
Shortly before the announcement, gunfire was heard near the headquarters of the Election Commission, the Presidential Palace, and the Ministry of Interior, according to eyewitnesses. The shooting continued in the capital for about an hour. There was no information about the victims.
Embalo contacted French media indicating his dismissal. His whereabouts remained unknown on Thursday, and the leaders of the coup military junta did not say whether he was being detained or not.
The president of the African Union, Mahmoud Ali Yusuf, condemned the coup in a statement and called for the immediate and unconditional release of Embalo and all officials allegedly in detention.
The heads of state of the West African regional bloc, Cediao, also condemned the coup and expressed concern over the possible arrests of Embalo, senior officials and members of the electoral process.
Election observers from the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States also said that officials responsible for the electoral process had been arrested and called for their immediate release.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who was following the vote as part of the West African Elders Forum, remained incommunicado on Thursday, according to ECOWAS spokesman Joel Ahuvodji.
“I will not say that he (Jonathan) and others are trapped in Guinea Bissau, but we do not know where they are,” he said.
Edwin Snow, a Liberian senator who was part of the parliamentary monitoring mission, told Reuters that he left the country on Tuesday and had not been able to contact his colleagues who remained in Bissau since Wednesday.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its regret at the “arbitrary suspension” of the legislative and presidential elections in Guinea Bissau, and appealed to the political forces in the country to resume peaceful dialogue with the aim of re-establishing constitutional order.
Itamaraty also stated that the Brazilian Embassy in Bissau remains available to provide assistance to Brazilian citizens in the country via the consular phone number.
“Fake coup attempt”
In a video, Dias accused Embalo of organizing a “fake coup attempt” to disrupt the elections because he feared losing.
In a statement sent to Reuters this Thursday, the coalition supporting Dias called on the authorities to reveal the results of the presidential elections that took place last Sunday (23).
The coalition also called for the release of former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, who was defeated by Embalo in the 2019 elections. He was arrested on Wednesday, according to his family members and security authorities.
A Reuters witness said security forces used tear gas to disperse a small protest in front of the building where Pereira was being held.
Police also dispersed a group gathered near Dias’ house on the outskirts of Bissau, and two witnesses told Reuters that shots were fired with live ammunition.
There were no reports of deaths related to the violence that occurred on Wednesday or Thursday.
Guinea Bissau, a small coastal country located between Senegal and Guinea, is known as a transit point for cocaine bound for Europe. Under Embalo, human trafficking would have increased, according to experts.
The country has been rocked by at least nine coups and attempted coups since 1974, when it gained independence from Portugal. Embalo claims to have survived three coup attempts during his term, while his critics accuse him of fabricating crises as a pretext for repression.
Dias campaigned, in part, on a promise to limit military interference in politics.