Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and several other African dignitaries remain stranded in Guinea-Bissau following a military takeover that abruptly halted the country’s electoral process.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday, just ahead of the planned announcement of results from the November 23 presidential and legislative elections.
Jonathan is part of a 36-member high-level election observation mission deployed jointly by the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF).
The delegation also includes former President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, who heads the AU mission, and Issifu Baba Braimah Kamara, leader of the ECOWAS mission. The observers were in Bissau holding final consultations with presidential candidates when the military seized control.
On Wednesday, army officers declared that they had taken over the government, suspended the electoral process, closed borders, and shut down airports.
The military also announced the formation of “The High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” to govern the country until further notice. The whereabouts of incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was seeking re-election, remain unclear.
The coup came after both Embaló and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, claimed victory in the election despite the absence of official results from the electoral commission.
Gunfire reportedly erupted near the presidential palace, the electoral commission headquarters, and the interior ministry prior to the military announcement, causing panic across the capital.
In a joint statement, the AU, ECOWAS, and WAEF condemned the takeover, describing it as a “blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process.”
The observers expressed concern that the announcement followed closely after meetings with both leading candidates, who had pledged to respect the will of the people. They also deplored the arrest of senior officials overseeing the electoral process and called for their immediate release to allow the elections to proceed.
A source close to Jonathan said, the former Nigerian president and other mission leaders are “safe in their hotels,” but international protocols will govern their exit from the country.
The mission is scheduled to depart Guinea-Bissau on November 29, though the ongoing situation has left their plans uncertain.
Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability, having experienced at least nine coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.
President Embaló, who took office in 2020, has survived three previous coup attempts. Analysts say the country’s strategic location has also made it a hub for drug trafficking to Europe, further complicating its security landscape.
The joint observers urged the AU and ECOWAS to take immediate steps to restore constitutional order and called on the people of Guinea-Bissau to remain calm while the democratic process is safeguarded.
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