- Military Coup: Guinea Bissau President, Embalo Flown To Senegal
- Army appoints General N Tam as interim leader for one year.
- Opposition candidate Dias claims victory and accuses Embalo of staging coup.
Guinea Bissau’s political turmoil deepened on Thursday after Senegal confirmed the arrival of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who was flown out of his country following his detention during a military coup.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Senegalese foreign ministry said Embalo arrived “safe and sound” aboard a government chartered military aircraft after being held by soldiers in Bissau. His removal came a day before authorities were expected to announce provisional results of the presidential and parliamentary elections.
In Bissau, the military moved quickly to consolidate control. On Thursday, the army appointed General Horta N Tam, the chief of staff, as the interim head of state for one year. He took the oath of office at the military headquarters, declaring that he had been sworn in to lead the High Command. The announcement signalled a complete derailment of the electoral process.
As the crisis escalated, opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa accused Embalo of masterminding the coup to stop him from taking office. Dias claimed he won Sunday’s election with about 52 percent of the vote and insisted the military takeover was an organised power grab rather than a genuine coup.
Speaking by telephone, Dias declared himself the president elect and claimed he escaped into hiding after armed soldiers stormed his campaign headquarters in an attempt to arrest him. He maintained confidence in his victory despite Embalo’s opposing claims.
The situation grew more complex after the arrest of Domingos Simoes Pereira, a leading opposition figure earlier barred from contesting by the Supreme Court but who had publicly backed Dias. His detention added further tension to an already unstable political climate.
