Former President Goodluck Jonathan has safely left Guinea-Bissau after Wednesday’s military coup that toppled the government, the Federal Government confirmed on Thursday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Jonathan departed the country aboard a special flight alongside members of his delegation, including Mohamed Ibn Chambas. Jonathan had been in Bissau as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, monitoring last Sunday’s presidential and parliamentary elections before soldiers seized power.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Jonathan, former Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, and ECOWAS Mission Head Issifu Kamara condemned the coup, describing it as an attempt to derail Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process. They urged residents to remain calm and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the country during what they called a sensitive and uncertain period.
The Federal Government also denounced the coup, expressing “profound dismay” over what it described as an unconstitutional change of government and a breach of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. Abuja warned that the takeover poses a serious threat to regional stability.
Guinea-Bissau descended into chaos on Wednesday after soldiers declared they had taken “total control” of the country, shut its borders, and suspended all electoral activities. Heavy gunfire erupted around the presidential palace, and key routes were blocked by troops. General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, announced that a joint command of the armed forces would run the country indefinitely.
Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló later confirmed his removal in a phone call with France24. Both he and opposition candidate Fernando Dias had already declared victory in Sunday’s tightly contested polls, with provisional results scheduled for release the same day the coup unfolded.
The military claimed it acted to foil a plot involving drug traffickers and the illegal importation of weapons aimed at subverting the constitutional order. Later on Thursday, General Lansana Mansali announced that the country’s borders had been reopened.
More than 6,700 security personnel, including ECOWAS Stabilisation Force members, had been deployed for the elections amid heightened political tensions. Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s most unstable nations, has experienced four successful coups and multiple failed attempts since independence.
On Thursday, the coup leaders appointed the army’s chief of staff, General Horta N’Tam, as transitional head of state for one year.
Nigeria renewed its demand for the swift return of democratic governance, the protection of all those detained, and full respect for Guinea-Bissau’s constitutional framework.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
