【Text by Observer Net, Yuan Jiaqi】
On the day before the announcement of the presidential election results, the political situation in Guinea-Bissau, a West African country, took a dramatic turn.
On the 26th, the Guinean army issued a statement on the national television station, announcing that it had "completely taken control" of the state power, and the president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, was dismissed. The statement cited "some political figures attempting to undermine national stability" as the reason for taking over the state power, and it took emergency measures including dissolving all public institutions and closing the borders.
According to Reuters and other reports, on Thursday (27th), a senior officer from Guinea-Bissau and a close ally of President Embalo, Orta Inata, was sworn in as the interim president of the country, with a term of one year. He then appointed General Thomas Gassama as the Chief of Army Staff. On the same day, the military announced that restrictions on the movement of people and goods and the nationwide curfew would be lifted from the 28th.
On Thursday evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Senegal issued a statement saying that, under the intervention of the regional organization in West Africa, the deposed President Embalo had "safely arrived" in Senegal. Earlier, the Guinean military had stated that President Embalo and several high-ranking officials were detained by the military. However, the opposition firmly claimed that this coup was a "fabricated coup" orchestrated by Embalo himself, aiming to hinder the vote counting and the announcement of the results.
Reuters pointed out that this is the ninth coup in the past five years in West and Central Africa, continuing the long-standing instability in Guinea-Bissau.
On November 27, 2024, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, General Orta Inata of the Guinea-Bissau Army was sworn in as the interim president. Visual China
The president's loyalist becomes the "interim president" after the coup
Guinea-Bissau is one of the least developed countries recognized by the United Nations, with a weak industrial base and no self-sufficiency in food. Since gaining independence from Portuguese colonial rule in the 1970s, the country has experienced continuous political instability, and rampant drug trafficking has further exacerbated economic development and social stability. As a "smuggling transit hub" for South American cocaine to Europe, the drug problem has become a chronic disease restricting its development.
According to statistics, there have been at least nine coups and attempted coups in Guinea-Bissau since 1980. After President Embalo took office in 2020, there have been three attempted coups announced by the government. The most recent one occurred in late October.
However, the oddity of this coup on Wednesday surprised even The New York Times — "even by the standards of this country, which has experienced multiple coups, the nature of the coup that occurred on Wednesday stands out in a year when elections are controversial across Africa."
On the afternoon of November 23, the presidential and parliamentary elections in Guinea-Bissau officially began, with 12 candidates competing for the presidency and 14 parties vying for seats in the parliament. The Guinean electoral commission originally planned to announce the preliminary results of the presidential election on the 27th.
Seeking re-election, Embalo was neck and neck with the opposition and independent candidate Fernando Dias. Before the official election results were announced, both declared victory in the first round of voting.
At this point, the coup happened, "before the official vote count results were announced, armed personnel stormed into the election commission's office."
According to information from Associated Press and France 24 News, around 1 p.m. on the 26th, there were intense gunshots near the presidential palace in the center of Bissau, lasting nearly an hour, and then military personnel in uniform controlled the main roads leading to the presidential palace.
A Bissau driver described the scene of panic, "people were running everywhere." However, there are currently no reports of casualties from violent incidents between Wednesday and Thursday.
Subsequently, the Guinean military issued a statement on the national television station announcing that the military had "completely taken control" of the state power. The spokesperson of the "High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order" (hereinafter referred to as the "Command") named Dinis Enchama announced that President Embalo had been dismissed.
Enchama claimed that the military decided to seize power to deal with the destabilizing plans manufactured by "certain domestic politicians" and "renowned drug traffickers at home and abroad," as well as the attempt to manipulate the election results.
"The Command" then announced the immediate dissolution of "all public institutions," the suspension of "all media activities" and "ongoing election procedures," and ordered the closure of all land, sea, and air borders of the country. The statement also mentioned that a mandatory curfew would be implemented from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day until further notice.
The Guinean military announced that the military had "completely taken control" of the state power. Screenshot of video
According to Reuters, citing sources, after the military coup, several senior officials of Guinea-Bissau were detained, including the Minister of Interior Bocar Kande, the Chief of the Armed Forces General Biagui Nantam, and the Deputy Chief of Staff Mamadou Tore. Embalo had contacted French media and personally confirmed the news of his dismissal.
The French media "Jeune Afrique" also quoted Embalo, who said that in his view, this event was a "coup led by the Chief of the Army Staff." He also said that he had not been subjected to any violence.
And just the next day, Inata, who was the former Chief of the Army Staff of Guinea-Bissau, took power.
On Thursday local time, Inata, dressed in uniform and flanked by other military officials, made his first appearance as a leader on the national television station of Guinea-Bissau live broadcast.
In the inauguration ceremony of the interim president, Inata reiterated the stance of the "Command" from the previous day, emphasizing that the coup aimed to thwart the "drug cartels' plot to seize Guinean democracy" and "prevent the country from disintegrating."
He also called on all parties to cooperate to ensure the smooth progress of the "transition work" and stated that the transitional government would combat corruption and drug smuggling, which have long plagued the country's stability.
Russian newspaper Pravda pointed out that Inata is a core loyalist of Embalo. In 2022, he gained the trust of Embalo by successfully repelling an attack on the presidential residence.
To commend his performance and entrust him with important responsibilities, Embalo specially established the position of "Special Chief of Staff to the President." This position is common in French-speaking countries, but it is the first time in Guinea-Bissau. Its core responsibility is to assist the head of state in fulfilling the duties of commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
When Embalo defended this appointment, he emphasized that it was due to extreme trust in Inata, believing that only Inata could ensure smooth communication with the military leadership and effectively prevent future coups. During this presidential election, Inata also accompanied Embalo throughout the country for campaign activities.
On November 23, 2024, President and presidential candidate Embalo spoke to the media after voting at the Nema 1 polling station in Guinea-Bissau. Visual China
The opposition thus firmly claims that this coup was a "fabricated coup" orchestrated by Embalo himself, aiming to obstruct vote counting and the announcement of the results. The Dias camp pointed out that installing the president's loyalist as the interim president is another trick used by Embalo to manipulate the election; they also emphasized that the military had arrested several opposition leaders and election commission officials, directly indicating that the president wanted to use the coup to continue his rule and install military allies to implement proxy governance.
Critics also noticed that General Dinis Enchama Nkanya, who has been serving Embalo for the past four years, also appeared among the coup planners.
In February 2021, Embalo promoted Enchama to the rank of major general and appointed him as the Director of the Military Office, responsible for supervising the presidential guard and ensuring the personal safety of the head of state and the security of the presidential residence. From the opposition's perspective, his presence in the "rebel" camp is by no means accidental.
Russian media also reported another suspicious detail: although the Guinean military had previously stated that Embalo was detained, he was still able to contact the outside world via phone and WhatsApp, and he also communicated with the heads of government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
However, Embalo's spokesperson gave a different account. He told Reuters that a group of unidentified armed personnel associated with Dias had attacked the election commission to obstruct the vote counting. This claim has no evidence to support it, and the Dias side did not respond immediately.
Senegal confirms: Former President Embalo of Guinea-Bissau safely arrives in Senegal
On Thursday night, the situation in Guinea-Bissau remained very calm, although soldiers were still stationed on the streets, the nighttime curfew had been lifted.
The "Command" of the Guinean military issued a statement on the 27th, stating that after assessing the current situation, it had decided to lift the restrictions on the movement of people and goods and the nationwide curfew starting from the 28th.
The statement said that with the formal swearing-in of the interim president, the conditions for restoring public order and social operations were now in place. All schools and training centers, markets, commercial centers, and various private institutions would resume normal operations from the next day. Other public institutions, including government departments, would resume work after the establishment of the transitional government.
The military also announced a ban on holding protests, demonstrations, strikes, and other activities that may affect the country's peace and stability.
According to Reuters, many residents still chose to stay at home, and shops and banks were closed.
"I am very worried about the current situation," said Julio Gonçalves, a 30-year-old professor and resident of Bissau, "there are no pharmacies open, how can people buy medicine or go to the hospital if someone is sick?"
On November 26, 2024, in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, gunshots were heard near the presidential palace, and people fled from the scene. Visual China
It is worth noting that shortly after the Guinean military announced that Embalo and other senior officials were still "under the control of the Command," Senegal's Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs issued a statement that night, stating that Embalo had "safely arrived" in the country.
The statement indicated that the Senegalese government had dispatched a special plane to assist in the "evacuation operation" to ensure Embalo's safe arrival in Senegal.
The statement also mentioned that since the turmoil in Guinea-Bissau, the Senegalese government has maintained communication with all relevant parties. On the 27th, Senegalese President Faaye attended a special summit on the situation in Guinea-Bissau held online by the West African Economic Community. The summit decided that a mediation team composed of some member states of the West African Economic Community would be formed.
According to Reuters, the observers from the West African Economic Community and the African Union issued a joint statement on the same day, expressing concern about the situation in Guinea-Bissau and urging the Guinean armed forces to immediately release the detained officials to ensure the completion of the country's election process.
Although the Guinean military insisted that the coup on Wednesday was "necessary" to prevent election manipulation, three independent international groups observing the election in Guinea-Bissau issued a joint statement emphasizing that there was no evidence of fraud.
The statement said that the African Union, the West African Economic Community, and the West African Elders Forum's tripartite observation team believed that the presidential and parliamentary elections held in Guinea-Bissau on the 23rd were generally conducted in an orderly and peaceful manner. Polling station staff, security forces, and candidates and party representatives demonstrated professionalism. The tripartite observation team expressed "deep concern" upon learning that the Guinean armed forces launched a coup while the election results were pending.
The joint statement condemned any act that undermines the democratic process and called on the African Union and the West African Economic Community to take necessary measures to assist Guinea-Bissau in restoring constitutional order.
The spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General also stated that the Secretary-General was "seriously concerned" about the developments in the situation in Guinea-Bissau and urged all parties to exercise restraint and respect the rule of law.
On the afternoon of November 26, the Chinese Embassy in Guinea-Bissau issued an emergency notice reminding Chinese citizens in Guinea-Bissau to enhance their safety precautions.
Since the restoration of diplomatic relations between China and Guinea-Bissau in 1998, the two countries have carried out practical cooperation in multiple fields. During the period of maintaining diplomatic relations, China has built projects such as stadiums, hospitals, and rice technology promotion stations in Guinea-Bissau. In July 2024, the bilateral relationship was elevated to a "strategic partnership."
Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, China provides practical support to meet the development needs of Guinea-Bissau: building the Safin Road and the Bading fishing port to fill the gaps in transportation and industry; dispatching agricultural experts to promote rice cultivation techniques, helping the country achieve basic food self-sufficiency, and promoting the upgrading of the cashew industry; building friendly hospitals and providing livelihood assistance, creating local employment and cultivating technical talents in the projects, comprehensively consolidating the development foundation and enhancing the internal driving force for development.
According to data from the Department of Western Asia and Africa of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in 2024, the bilateral trade volume between China and Guinea-Bissau was 1 billion US dollars, an increase of 55.8% compared to the previous year, almost entirely consisting of exports from China. In January-June 2025, the bilateral trade volume was 0.3 billion US dollars, a decrease of 18.1% compared to the same period last year, almost entirely consisting of exports from China. The main exports from China include机电 products, high-tech products, and textile products.
As of the end of 2024, the stock of direct investment by Chinese enterprises in Guinea-Bissau was 29.26 million US dollars.
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