29.11.2025
Ousted Guinea Bissau President, Umaro Sissoco Embalo might have staged his own overthrow after it became clear, he would lose the country’s presidential election held November 23.
On Wednesday November 25 the army announced that President Embalo had been ousted, saying that drug barons were trying to take control affairs of the country.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan who was in the country as one of the election observers and was trapped in Bissau said the coup was faked by Embalo who has been ruling the country since 2020.
“What happened was not a coup – maybe a ceremonial one. I wouldn’t call it a coup. For want of a better word, maybe it was a ceremonial coup,” Jonathan told reporters after returning to Abuja.
“Two things made it bizarre: it was President Embaló himself who first announced it. And while this ‘coup’ was happening, he was using his phone to address media organisations across the world, saying he had been arrested.”
Also speaking Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said reports of a coup in Guinea-Bissau, was a “fabrication.” He accused President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of using the military to hold onto power after losing the first round of elections.
On Thursday, Guinea-Bissau’s military installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as transitional president, removing civilian authority
“What happened in Guinea-Bissau was a sham. We want the electoral process to continue.
“The [electoral] commission must be allowed to declare the winner.”
Embalo is currently in Senegal after being released by military forces. Reports allege he ordered security forces to detain opposition leaders and create chaos to justify a state of emergency. The situation has raised concerns about regional instability, with ECOWAS closely monitoring developments.