Guinea‑Bissau entered a new chapter on 27 November 2025 when General Horta N’Tam was sworn in as transitional president, a day after the military seized power and suspended the country’s electoral process.
First Daily reported on 26 November that a group of soldiers calling themselves the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order had deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, suspended all state institutions, closed land, air and sea borders, and imposed a curfew.
The swift takeover shocked the nation. Gunfire was reportedly heard near the presidential palace and the headquarters of the electoral commission shortly before the takeover.
The declaration came just before provisional results from Sunday’s contested presidential election were due, in which both Embaló and his challenger Fernando Dias had claimed victory.
In a televised oath‑taking ceremony, Horta N’Tam, formerly the army’s chief of staff, pledged to lead the country through a transitional period expected to last one year.
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The takeover drew immediate concern from regional and international observers, who warned that the coup posed a serious threat to Guinea‑Bissau’s democratic process.
The whereabouts of several detained political figures, including opposition leaders and electoral officials, remain unclear.
Reports also indicate a heavy troop presence in the capital and widespread business closures, highlighting the uncertainty facing ordinary citizens.