President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has been arrested by senior military officers who on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, declared they had taken control of the state and suspended the country’s disputed electoral process.
Soldiers announced on state television that they had assumed “total control” of government institutions and halted the electoral process.
Embaló later told reporters he was detained inside his office at the presidential palace around 1 p.m., describing the takeover as “a coup d’état.”
Reports indicated that top security officials, including the armed forces chief of staff and the interior minister, were also taken into custody.
Gunfire erupted near the presidential palace, the interior ministry and the national electoral commission headquarters, forcing residents to flee and leaving streets deserted.
The intervention came three days after the presidential election, in which both Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias da Costa, claimed victory before official results were released.
Embaló, a former prime minister and military officer, has governed since 2020 amid persistent tensions with opposition groups.
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The latest takeover adds to Guinea-Bissau’s long history of military interventions since independence from Portugal in 1974, deepening concerns about the country’s fragile democratic structures.
The military has closed the borders and suspended the electoral process until further notice.
Regional and international observers are monitoring developments closely as uncertainty grows over when civilian rule might be restored.