Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Embalo.webp
The Digest:

Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Embalo has been arrested in what he describes as a coup d'état, a sudden disruption where ballot boxes yield to barracks, revealing how quickly democratic processes can unravel in nations where power has historically changed hands at the barrel of a gun.

Key Points:
  • President Umaro Embalo was arrested inside the presidential palace without force
  • Military officers declared "total control" of the country on Wednesday
  • The electoral process has been suspended amid disputed election results
  • Borders were closed and a mandatory curfew imposed nationwide
  • Army chief General Denis N'Canha cited a plot involving "national drug lords."
  • Gunfire was reported near the National Electoral Commission headquarters
  • This marks the fifth major political disruption since the country's independence
In a region where democracy often remains a fragile experiment, the sound of soldiers announcing control serves as another stark reminder that for some nations, the path to power still runs through the military headquarters rather than the voting booth. Power in the Barrel.

Sources: AFP, Channels, Premium Times