Guinea-Bissau Military Seizes Power, Closes Borders Over Alleged Drug Trafficking and Election-Rigging Plot

The West African nation of Guinea-Bissau was thrown into fresh political turmoil on Wednesday after a faction of the military seized control, suspended all state institutions, and detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. The group, identifying itself as the ‘High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order,’ announced the closure of the country’s land, air, and sea borders, alongside the imposition of an overnight curfew.

The coup was executed just ahead of the expected announcement of provisional results from last Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections, a contest between the incumbent Embaló and his main challenger, Fernando Dias.

In an address on state television, General Denis N’Canha, speaking on behalf of the junta, declared that the military would “exercise the powers of the state effective immediately.” The military justified the takeover by claiming they had stepped in to foil an elaborate plot to destabilize the country and manipulate the electoral process. Crucially, General N’Canha alleged that the scheme involved “well-known local and foreign drug barons” who were attempting to subvert the constitutional order.

This latest upheaval underscores the chronic instability plaguing Guinea-Bissau, a coastal nation of two million people that has long served as a major transit hub for cocaine moving from Latin America to Europe. Drug trafficking networks have historically been accused of corrupting political institutions and military factions, severely weakening the country’s fragile economy and democracy.

The deposed President Embaló, who was seeking a second term after being elected in 2019, was reportedly arrested following gunfire near the presidential palace.

Meanwhile, the military takeover has been challenged by political rivals. Opposition leader Fernando Dias, who had also claimed victory in the contentious election, accused Embaló of orchestrating a “fabricated” coup himself to prevent the results, which he claimed favored him, from being officially released.

As soldiers patrolled the capital city of Bissau and all provisional election results were suspended, the ‘High Military Command’ affirmed that it had taken “total control.” The unfolding crisis adds Guinea-Bissau to a growing list of West African nations experiencing military takeovers amid contested elections and political upheaval, prompting international bodies, including the United Nations, to express “deep concern” over the developments. The military command confirmed it would run the country “until further notice.”