Guinea-Bissau deposed President Embaló flees to Senegal as military installs transitional leader

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau — Thursday, 27 November 2025 (Running Africa) -Embaló arrived in Dakar aboard a chartered flight on what authorities described as a “diplomatic arrangement” negotiated with Guinea-Bissau’s military command.

Gunfire erupted around the presidential palace on Thursday afternoon as the takeover unfolded. It remains unclear whether Embaló departed voluntarily; he later claimed he had been arrested by the military before being escorted out of the country.

The junta has appointed Gen. Horta Inta-a as transitional head of government, announcing a one-year handover period aimed at restoring constitutional rule, according to a televised declaration.

The opposition swiftly rejected the coup, calling it a “fake military intervention” designed to delay the release of election results.
Opposition candidate Fernando Dias, who has declared himself the winner, accused Embaló of colluding with “military friends” to subvert the popular vote.

“I am the winner of the elections,” Dias told reporters. “We have polling station reports confirming our victory.”

Opposition groups are now calling for nationwide protests to demand the immediate publication of the official results.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Guinea-Bissau on Thursday following an emergency virtual meeting chaired by Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio.

The United Nations and African Union issued separate statements denouncing the coup and urging a swift return to constitutional order.

Guinea-Bissau, one of West Africa’s most politically fragile states, has endured four successful coups and numerous failed attempts since independence. The crisis deepens instability in a region already grappling with a resurgence of military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—a trend that has reshaped West Africa’s security and democratic landscape.