Guinea-Bissau Military Installs General as Transitional Leader Following Coup

On November 26, 2025, the military in Guinea-Bissau seized power, arresting President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and suspending the electoral process. The following day, General Horta Inta-A Na Man was sworn in as transitional president for a one-year term.

The coup occurred just before the anticipated announcement of the presidential election results, in which both Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias had declared victory. The military, identifying themselves as the "High Military Command for the Restoration of Order," cited the need to restore national security and public order as justification for their actions.

Opposition leader Fernando Dias accused Embaló of orchestrating the coup to avoid conceding defeat, alleging that the crisis was fabricated to disrupt the election results. The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the coup, calling for the immediate release of detained officials and the restoration of constitutional order.

Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability, with multiple coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. The country has also been identified as a hub for drug trafficking, contributing to its ongoing political crises.