Coup in Guinea-Bissau, army in power: President Embaló arrested and elections suspended.

On November 26, 2025, Guinea-Bissau plunged into a new political-military crisis. A group of army officers, gathered under the name “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order”, announced that he had taken over the “total control of the country until further notice”, suspending the ongoing electoral process, closing land, sea and air borders and imposing a night-time curfew.

A few hours before the official announcement, in the capital Bissau shots had been heard near the presidential palace, from the Ministry of the Interior and National Electoral Commission, causing panic among the population and a widespread stampede. Witnesses reported armed soldiers occupying the main roads leading to the presidential palace and other government buildings.

In the late afternoon, at the army headquarters, the general Denis N'Canha, head of the presidential military house, sitting at a table and surrounded by soldiers, read a statement in which he declared that: "a High Command for the Restoration of Order, composed of all branches of the armed forces, assumes the leadership of the country until further notice."

At the same time, the following were announced:

• suspension of the entire electoral process;

• cancellation of expected results of presidential and legislative elections;

• closure of borders;

• curfew from 21 to 6;

• suspension or limitation of media programs and access to social networks.

The military authorities have called on the population to “keep calm”Today in Bissau the streets were almost deserted and under heavy military surveillance.

The arrest of Embaló and the institutional leaders

The outgoing president Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the favorite for a second term in the presidential elections, was arrested in his office inside the presidential palace. Embaló himself confirmed a few hours later in an interview with France 24 that he had been dismissed and detainedHe clarified that he had not suffered any violence, while military sources assured that he was "treated well".

High-ranking institutional figures were also arrested with him:

• the chief of staff Biague Na Ntan,

• his deputy Mamadou Toure,

• the Minister of the Interior Botché Candé,

• former Prime Minister and PAIGC member Domingos Simões Pereira,

• and the opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa, who had claimed victory in the elections.

The country, virtually decapitated of its civilian leadership, has passed into the hands of the military.

Why the Military Took Power: The Official Version

The public face of the coup is the general Denis N'Canha, who read a long statement in front of the press and soldiers. According to his reconstruction, the army intervened after the discovery of a plan underway to destabilize the country, an attempt that would have involved “national and foreign citizens”, prominent politicians and even “known drug lords”.

The General Directorate of Intelligence, N'Canha explained, had identified: a weapons depot illegally introduced into the country, attempts to manipulate the election results in favor of one of the candidates and criminal activities ready to support a possible subversion of the constitutional order.

The elections: the detonator of chaos

The climate had been tense for weeks. The presidential and legislative elections in November were already marked by strong polarization, fueled by a sensational fact: the PAIGC disqualification, the main opposition party and a historic protagonist in the history of Guinea-Bissau, excluded for an alleged late submission of candidacies.

Both Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias had claimed victory, despite the Electoral Commission not releasing provisional results until two days later. The Commission's headquarters had been attacked by gunmen the evening before the coup, a sign of how out of control the situation had become.

International observers—from the African Union to the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries—described the voting process as "orderly and peaceful," but also emphasized the need to await the official results to avoid tensions. This recommendation, unfortunately, went unheeded.

The reaction of the international community

The foreign response was immediate and concerned. The United Nations expressed “deep concern”, calling for moderation and respect for the rule of law.ECOWAS andAfrican Union, who know well the fragility of the country, have asked for the restoration of constitutional order , immediate release of prisoners.

Portugal, a former colonial power, expressed its "regret," calling on all parties to stop all forms of institutional violence and guarantee the safety of foreign citizens present in the country.

A poor and unstable country, at the center of international drug trafficking

Guinea-Bissau has been one of the most fragile nations on the continent for years:

• almost the 40% of the population lives below the poverty line,

• the State has been considered for years a crossroads for cocaine trafficking destined for Europe, due to its fragmented and difficult to control geography,

• Democratic institutions are weak and frequently exposed to military interference.

In this context, the coup of November 26 only confirms a picture of almost chronic instability, which recurs cyclically at every delicate stage of political life.

Nta Na Man, the new face of transition

In the hours following the coup, the name of the general emerged Horta Nta Na Man, which the army made people swear as transitional president. A figure who until yesterday was considered close to Embaló, today he is the new strongman charged with leading a temporary government with an expected duration of a year.

He promised:

• the reopening of the borders,

• the stabilization of the country,

• the return to constitutional normality.

Conclusion: a cycle that continues

The new coup in Guinea-Bissau is not a bolt from the blue, but yet another manifestation of a deeply rooted crisis of political instability, institutional weakness, international pressure, criminal trafficking, and internal rivalries between the army and the government.

For the citizens of Bissau, all this is no longer a surprise. As one passerby fleeing the gunfire recounted: "we're used to it here".

A phrase that encapsulates all the weariness of a people who have been waiting for true stability for half a century.