Guinea-Bissau name army general as pesin to lead military regime afta coup

Dem don swear-in one army general Horta N'Tam as Guinea-Bissau new head of state a day afta dem carry out coup.

Gen Horta N'Tam go become di transitional president for a period of one year, as e take di oath of office on Thursday, for di army headquarters.

Di military don alreadi suspend di electoral process and block di release of di results of Sunday presidential election wey dem bin dey expect on Thursday bifor.

Na on Wednesday 26 November 2025, some armed men bin arrest Guinea-Bissau president Umaro Sissoco Embaló for wetin be like coup for di capital Bissau.

Dat na just three days afta di presidential election and dem neva announce election results.

Di group of military officers say na dem seize control of Guinea-Bissau, afta gunshots ring through di capital city Bissau and goment sources tell di BBC say Embaló don dey detained.

Di Army officers bin make address for state TV, say dem don form "di High Military Command for di Restoration of Order" and dem go dey in charge of di West African nation until further notice.

Very quickly, one day afta di coup, di military announce dia new leader and swear am in to lead Guinea-Bissau for one year.

Some civil society groups for Guinea-Bissau don accuse outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló say na im mastermind di "simulated coup" against imsef wit di help of di military, say na ways for am to block election results from coming out in case e lose.

"Dis manoeuvre aim to prevent di publication of di electoral results wey dey scheduled for tomorrow, November 27," di civil society coalition Popular Front say for dia statement on Wednesday.

Meanwhile president Embalo neva respond to di allegations.

E say im don survive multiple coup attempts during im time for office.

Guinea-Bissau don witness at least nine coups or attempted coups ova di last five decades.

Guinea-Bissau get population of about 2.2 million and na one of di West Africa kontris wey dey part of di Portuguese Empire for centuries bifor.

Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo dey compete against top challenger Fernando Dias, and di two of dem dey claim victory for di first round earlier dis week for di election.

Im main rival, opponent Fernando Dias, dey contest di results.

Dias dey supported by former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira wey dey barred from running wit di di main opposition party, di PAIGC.

PAIGC na di party wey lead to Guinea-Bissau independence, and di Pai Terra Ranka coalition, wey e lead bin bring togeda around ten political parties.

‎Di electoral commission promise to announce di final election results by Thursday, afta dem cut warning give voters, candidates, political parties, electoral coalitions, and di media against announcing any results.

Report say approximately half of Guinea-Bissau 2.2 million inhabitants dey eligible to vote and di voter turnout dey estimated at ova 65 per cent.

Sources say dem don gbab former Prime Minister Domingos Pereira, Interior Minister Botché Candé and Dias.

Embaló, bin wan make history as di country only president to secure a second consecutive mandate for di last 30 years.

E initially say e no go seek a second term and bifor di election opposition say im term suppose don officially end for February 2025.

African Union, Nigeria, odas react to coup in Guinea-Bissau

Different kontris and organisations don begin dey react to di coup wey happun for Guinea-Bissau.

Di African Union Commission (AU) bin condemn di military take-ova for di West African kontri.

According to Au chairpesin H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, e say di military coup d'État wey take place for Guinea-Bissau on 26 November 2025, and lead to di arrest of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, no dey acceptable.

For di statement, di AU chairpesin di coup bin come at 'a moment wen di nation dey on di verge of di announcement of dia electoral results.'

"Di chairpesin reiterate say di African Union get zero tolerance for, and firm rejection of, any unconstitutional change of goment, wey no dey in accordance wit di Union core normative instruments."

Di AU call for di ' immediate and unconditional release of President Embaló and all detained officials' and say make all parties hold dia side so breakdown of law and order no go spoil di situation.

AU say dem stand in support wit di pipo of Guine-Bissau for di period, and dem go " work in close coordination wit ECOWAS and oda key international partners, to support all efforts wey go restore stability and safeguard democratic processes."

Also, di Federal goment of Nigeria chook mouth for di Guinea-Bissau coup wia dem say dem dey concerned say 'unfortunate military coup don lead to unconstitutional

change of goment' for di kontri.

According to Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Federal Goment of Nigeria, in strongest possible terms, condemn dis act of military insurrection wey no be democratic progress, constitutional order, and stability not only of Guinea-Bissau but of di entire West African sub-region."

Nigeria say dis "coup d'etat represent violation of di fundamental principles of di ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, wey reject taking ova of power through unconstitutional means."

According to di Foreign Affairs ministry, dem say Nigeria dey stand in solidarity wit di pipo fo Guinea-Bissau and also call for di restoration of order for di kontri.

Additional reporting by Richard Kagoe and Adesola Ikulajulo