Military officers seize power in Guinea-Bissau and remove President Embaló

President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has been deposed in Guinea-Bissau after military officers announced they were taking control of the country and suspending state institutions, according to media reports.

Embaló confirmed his removal in a brief phone call with France 24 on Wednesday, saying, “I have been deposed,” before adding that he could not speak further without risking the confiscation of his phone. He said he was being held at the armed forces’ general staff headquarters.

Military officials announced on state television that all institutions were suspended “until further notice,” AFP reported. The officers said the measures were necessary to “clarify the situation” before any return to constitutional order.

Their announcement also included the suspension of the electoral process, the closure of land, air, and sea borders, and the imposition of a nationwide curfew.

Gunfire was heard earlier in the day near the presidential palace in Bissau, prompting people nearby to flee for safety, according to AFP journalists at the scene.

According to AFP and Jeune Afrique, several senior officials were also detained, including Interior Minister Botché Candé; the armed forces chief of staff, General Biague Na Ntan; and his deputy, General Mamadou Touré.

Guinea-Bissau is a small West African nation on the Atlantic coast, bordered by Senegal and Guinea. The country has experienced repeated instability since independence, with numerous military coups and attempted coups, including successful overthrows in 1980, 1999, and 2003.