Guinea-Bissau Military Seizes Power Amid Election Dispute

On November 26, 2025, military officers in Guinea-Bissau announced they had seized control of the government, following gunfire near the presidential palace and election commission headquarters in Bissau. The officers, identifying themselves as the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order, declared the suspension of the electoral process and closure of all borders.

President Umaro Sissoco Embaló confirmed to French media that he had been arrested in what he described as a coup led by the army chief of staff. He stated he was not subjected to violence during the arrest.

The military's actions came a day before the expected announcement of provisional results from the November 23 presidential election. Both Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa had claimed victory, despite official results not yet being released.

International bodies, including the United Nations, African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), condemned the military's seizure of power and called for a return to constitutional order.

Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability, having experienced multiple coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.