Guinea-Bissau Military Ousts President in Pre-Election Coup

Guinea-Bissau's military seized power on Wednesday in a coup that ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, just one day before provisional results from the country's recent presidential election were expected to be announced, plunging the West African nation into fresh political turmoil.

The takeover occurred in the capital, Bissau, amid heightened tensions following Sunday's vote between Embalo, who has led the Portuguese-speaking country since 2020, and his main challenger, Fernando Dias. Soldiers, referring to themselves as the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order, announced they had assumed control to prevent destabilization by politicians and drug traffickers. They detained Embalo initially at military headquarters, along with Interior Minister Botche Cande, opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira, and several other officials. Gunfire echoed near the National Electoral Commission, the presidential palace, and government buildings as the military imposed a curfew and restricted internet access.

Embalo, 53, who had claimed victory in the election, was later released and fled to neighboring Senegal aboard a military aircraft arranged by Dakar authorities. By...