Guinea-Bissau President, Three Others Arrested
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau has been arrested by armed men in the capital, Bissau, deepening fears of instability following last week’s contested presidential election.
His arrest comes three days after the vote in which the main opposition candidate was disqualified, a decision that has drawn criticism and heightened political division, BBC reports.
Witnesses reported hearing gunfire at about 1 p.m. local time, although it remains unclear who was involved in the shooting or how the confrontation began.
Embaló confirmed to The Africa Report’s sister publication, Jeune Afrique, that he was arrested on Wednesday, November 26, at around 1pm while he was in his office at the presidential palace.
Also taken into custody were the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, General Biaguê Na Ntan; the Deputy Chief of Staff, General Mamadou Touré; and the Interior Minister, Botché Candé.
The outgoing president stated that no force was used against him during what he described as a “coup d’état,” which he said was orchestrated by the army chief of staff.
The presidential election took place last Sunday, and the outgoing president said he had won with 65% of the vote, by his own count.
Embaló had taken part in the November 23, 2025 presidential and legislative elections, casting his ballot in Nema 1 in the Gabu region.
Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation of roughly 2.1 million people, was part of the Portuguese Empire for centuries before independence.
A government official told the BBC she was at her home near the presidential palace when she heard gunshots.
The election remains in dispute, with both Embaló and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, claiming victory in the first round earlier in the week.
Dias is contesting the announced results, insisting that the process failed to meet acceptable standards.
He is supported by former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, who was barred from running along with the main opposition party, the PAIGC.
The PAIGC, which led the country to independence, is a key component of the Pai Terra Ranka coalition, comprising around ten political parties.
