* Umaro Sissoco Embaló,
Deposed Guinea-Bissau President
The Pathfinder
Saturday November 29, 2025
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Deposed Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has arrived in neighbouring Senegal after being released by soldiers who toppled his government earlier this week.
Senegal’s foreign ministry confirmed late Thursday that the former leader landed “safe and sound” aboard a chartered military aircraft following negotiations led by the West African regional bloc, Ecowas. The bloc had engaged the junta in Bissau to secure Embaló’s transfer as tensions escalated in the coup-hit nation.
A new transitional leader, Gen Horta N’Tam, has already been sworn in to administer the country for one year. The powerful army chief of staff assumed control after Wednesday’s coup, which unfolded just hours before the electoral commission was due to announce provisional results from presidential and parliamentary polls.
The military suspended the electoral process, sealed the results, and imposed a night-time curfew. It claimed the coup was necessary to foil an alleged plot involving unnamed politicians “supported by a well-known drug baron” to destabilise the nation.
Guinea-Bissau, situated between Senegal and Guinea, has long been described as a narco-transit hub with a history of political turbulence. Since independence from Portugal in 1974, it has recorded at least nine coups or attempted coups.
Both Embaló and his chief rival Fernando Dias had declared victory in Sunday’s presidential vote. Dias, backed by former Prime Minister Domingos Pereira — who was disqualified from contesting — was reportedly detained along with Pereira and Interior Minister Botché Candé. Dias later described the takeover as an “organised coup,” insisting he won about 52% of the vote and considers himself “the president-elect.”
Some civil society groups have accused Embaló of engineering a “simulated coup” to prevent the release of election results in case of defeat. The 53-year-old former army general has survived multiple coup attempts since taking office in 2020, though critics say he has occasionally exaggerated security threats to suppress opposition.
Tension remained high in the capital, Bissau, on Thursday as soldiers patrolled largely deserted streets and many shops remained closed, according to AFP. Shortly after Gen N’Tam’s swearing-in, land, air and sea borders initially shut during the coup were reopened.
International condemnation has been swift. Ecowas suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies and demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order.
The African Union also denounced the military takeover, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern and called for the junta to relinquish power.
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