Guinea-Bissau - November 2025

On 26 November, military officers seized power in Guinea-Bissau, suspending the electoral process one day before results were due in the contested 23 November election, in which both President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias claimed victory. Soldiers appeared on state television announcing Embaló’s removal, imposed border closures and a night-time curfew. The electoral commission was taken over, and the country—already without a sitting parliament since its dissolution in December 2023—was placed under a High Military Command. General Horta N’Tam was sworn in as transitional president for a one-year period. Embaló later left the country while opposition figures were arrested and several party headquarters reportedly raided. Opposition figures and regional actors questioned whether Embaló was the victim of the takeover, alleging it was staged to halt the electoral process and retain influence over power. The junta subsequently appointed a new government comprising mostly civilians alongside several senior military officers. ECOWAS and the AU both suspended Guinea-Bissau.

Sources: Jornal O Democrata Guiné-Bissau, International Crisis Group, Jeune Afrique, Africa Confidential, The Conversation, AP News, International IDEA