Bissau: A group of military officers in Guinea-Bissau seized control on Wednesday, announcing the overthrow of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, accusing him of plotting to 'destabilize' the nation. The coup took place as the country awaited tense election results from Sunday's polls, with both Embalo and independent challenger Fernando Dias having claimed victory.

According to Anadolu Agency, Guinea-Bissau has experienced a history of political instability, with no democratically elected president completing a second consecutive term since 1994. The nation has faced numerous military interventions, including coups, attempted coups, mutinies, and assassinations, undermining its democratic institutions and political transitions.

The latest coup follows a series of military interventions in the country's past. In November 1980, the first president, Luis Cabral, was ousted in a bloodless coup led by Prime Minister Joao Bernardo Vieira. November 1985 saw Vice President Paulo Correia executed after being accused of plotting against Vieira. The history of unrest continued with a mutiny in March 1993, a civil war in June 1998, and several other coups and military actions over the years.

In recent history, the November 2023 incident saw National Guard forces storm a police station to release government officials arrested for corruption, leading to violent clashes. In October 2025, the army arrested senior officers over an alleged coup attempt. The current situation has led to the dissolution of state institutions, a halt to the electoral process, border closures, and a nationwide curfew.

President Embalo confirmed to France 24 that he had been deposed and was held at the military's general staff headquarters. Meanwhile, his challenger Dias claimed the crisis was fabricated by Embalo after losing the election. The coup leaders have appointed Gen. Horta Inta-A as transitional president, and Embalo has been flown to Senegal 'safe and sound,' according to the Senegalese Foreign Ministry.