A group of military officers in Guinea-Bissau have claimed “total control” of the country.
Dubbing themselves the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order,” the officers read out a statement on television today, Wednesday, November 26, 2025, declaring that they had ordered the immediate suspension of the electoral process “until further notice.”
They also ordered the closure of all land, air and sea borders, and an overnight curfew.
The move came shortly after sustained gunfire was heard near the election commission headquarters, the presidential palace and the interior ministry in the capital, Bissau.
The announced takeover came a day after the top candidates in a tightly contested presidential election both declared victory.
The results of Sunday’s presidential vote were expected to be announced on Thursday in the West African nation. The vote had pit incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo against his primary challenger Fernando Dias.
Both Embalo and Dias had already declared victory with little proof to support their claims. “There won’t be a second round,” Embalo’s campaign spokesperson Oscar Barbosa told a news agency yesterday, adding that the President “will have a second mandate.”
Dias also declared victory, saying in a video posted to social media, “This election has been won, it has been won in the first round.”
Guinea-Bissau’s last presidential vote in 2019 was marked by a four-month post-election crisis as both main candidates claimed victory.
Guinea-Bissau has experienced several coups and attempted coups since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974.
There have been at least nine coups in Guinea-Bissau between independence and Embaló taking office in 2020, according to Reuters. Embaló claimed to have survived three coup attempts during his first term in office, the most recent in October.
However, critics claimed Embaló had fabricated the putsch attempts, using them as an excuse to repress opposition. In December 2023, gunfire was heard for hours in Bissau, which Embaló said was an attempted coup. He dissolved parliament and Guinea-Bissau hasn’t had a properly functioning legislature since.
Concerns Expressed Over Military Takeover In Guinea-Bissau
Meanwhile, West Africa’s ECOWAS and African Union observers expressed concern over the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, according to a joint statement issued by the organisations.
The observers said that it’s regrettable that the coup announcement came at a time when the missions had just concluded meeting with the two leading presidential candidates, “who assured us of their willingness to accept the will of the people.”
The observer missions that included Mozambique’s former President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan, called on the regional bodies to take the necessary steps to restore constitutional order.
The statement from the Economic Community of West African States and African Union observers said, “We urge the armed forces to immediately release the detained officials to allow the country’s electoral process to proceed to its conclusion.”
Also, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference in New York that UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has been following the situation in Guinea-Bissau “with deep concern.”
He stated that the UN Chief appealed to all national stakeholders in Guinea Bissau to exercise restraint and exercise and respect the rule of law. “The secretary-general will continue to closely follow the situation in the country as it unfolds,” he added.
Additionally, the Portuguese government also called for all parties to refrain from “any act of institutional or civic violence.” In a statement, it said that Guinea-Bissau’s state institutions must be allowed to function in order to finalise the electoral process.
READ ALSO: Bank of Ghana Slashes Policy Rate by 350 Basis Points to 18%, Signaling Major Economic Boost
