Bissau, Guinea Bissau. – The Guinea-Bissau army announced this on Thursday The former army chief of staff will be in charge of the military council who rules the country, a day after he staged a coup amid tensions over the hotly contested presidential elections.
Appointed the highest military command General Horta Ntam As interim president, Who will oversee a one-year transition periodAccording to a statement announced on official television.
“The inability of political actors to stop The deteriorating political climate finally led to the intervention of the armed forcessaid Ntam, who was a close ally of the ousted president Amr Sissoko is packed.
The general thanked the armed forces for their “trust.” He said the military uprising sought to “protect democracy and political stability.”.
Embalo’s whereabouts remained unknown as of Thursday. The ousted president told French media on Wednesday that soldiers arrested him, as gunshots rang out near the presidential palace.
For her part, The opposition claimed that Embalo staged the coup to avoid defeat In the presidential elections that took place on Sunday.
Military coup and alleged arrest of Embalo were ‘fabricated’ To obstruct the announcement of the election results scheduled for Thursday, according to what his competitor said Fernando Diaswho, like Embalo, claimed to have won the vote.
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde – the main opposition party led by its leader, Former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereirawas considered the biggest obstacle to Embalo’s re-election before the authorities ruled out his candidacy – and Dias, of the Social Renewal Party, They urged residents to protest the coup and demand the publication of the election results.
However, on Thursday morning, The capital, Bissau, appears to be operating normally Business and public transportation have gradually resumed.
Guinea Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world It suffered a series of coups and coup attempts Since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago, including the attempted coup last October.
The country with a population of 2.2 million is known as A transit point for drug smuggling between Latin America and Europe, This is a trend that, according to experts, has fueled their political crises.
The reported strike is the latest A wave of military coups in West AfricaDemocracy has faced recent challenges from disputed elections, which analysts say may embolden the military.
In a scene that has become familiar in the region. A number of army officers appeared on state television on Wednesday and reported that they had seized power. Embalo, who was seeking a rare second consecutive term in the country, later contacted French media, indicating that he had been arrested and detained. The Electoral Commission office was bugged.
“Amr lost the elections, and instead of accepting the result, he orchestrated a coup.” This came in a video clip posted on the Internet, coinciding with statements by various civil society groups. “Once again, we have become the target of a false coup,” the opposition promised. “We will liberate ourselves.”
Dias (47 years old) also said Who escaped from custody “through the back door.” After several reports claimed that soldiers arrested him and promised to fight until the election results were known.
This week’s election took place at a critical time for the African nation, with Embalo, a 53-year-old former army general, facing a legitimacy crisis. The opposition claimed that his term had long ended He refused to recognize him as president.
The army, which announced the dismissal of the president, was martyred “Discovery of an ongoing plan (…) to manipulate the election results.”According to the spokesman Dennis Ntshama, Who appeared surrounded by other soldiers during the televised statement.
“The plan was drawn up by some national politicians With the participation of a known drug traffickerAnd local and foreign citizens alike,” Ntshama said.
next to, He stressed that the uprising sought “to restore national security and public order.”before reporting that the new junta had assumed “all powers of state” and stating that Embalo had been arrested during the attack on the presidential palace.
“All institutions in the Republic of Guinea Bissau” have been closed until further noticeAnd so are the borders, the military spokesman said. Added to this is the blockade of social networks and a curfew from 9pm to 6am local time (6pm to 3am in Argentina).
Many international organizations and countries have condemned the coup While the United Nations said it was following the situation “with great concern.”
This coup, which joins other coups that have occurred since 2020 in the region – in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea -, The Chairperson of the African Union Commission condemned it “unequivocally”. Mahmoud Ali YoussefWho demanded the release of Embalo and other detainees.
Youssef reiterated in a statement that the continental organization has zero tolerance for “any unconstitutional change of government,” and stressed that “it is necessary to respect the ongoing electoral process and respect the constitutional system,” including the need to The Election Commission shall announce the name of the winner in the last elections.
AP and DPA agencies