The African Union has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its activities with immediate effect after soldiers seized power in the West African state on Wednesday.
AU and ECOWAS act swiftly
The African Union Peace and Security Council announced the suspension on Friday, citing its zero-tolerance policy on unconstitutional changes of government. The 15-member council demanded the restoration of constitutional order and the release of detained officials.
A day earlier, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had taken similar action, barring Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies and threatening further sanctions if the military fails to hand power back to civilians.
Coup follows disputed elections
The takeover came just three days after presidential and legislative elections on Sunday. Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and main opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira both declared victory amid widespread claims of irregularities.
As the national electoral commission prepared to announce preliminary results, troops stormed its headquarters in Bissau, halted the count and sealed off government buildings. In a late-night broadcast, the armed forces announced the dissolution of parliament and the creation of a transitional military council.
New military leader takes charge
Major-General Biague Na Ntan, former chief of general staff, was sworn in as interim head of state on Thursday. The veteran officer promised a one-year transition leading to fresh elections and pledged to fight corruption and restore stability.
On Friday Na Ntan named key allies to the transitional council, including Colonel Mamadu Ture as interior minister responsible for internal security.
Embalo flees to Senegal
President Embalo left Bissau on Thursday on a flight arranged by Senegal and is now in Dakar. From the Senegalese capital he rejected the coup as illegal and insisted he remains the legitimate leader.
A country trapped in instability
Guinea-Bissau has suffered at least nine successful or attempted coups since independence from Portugal in 1974. No elected president has ever completed a full term.
The country of 2.2 million people is one of the world’s poorest and has become a major transit point for cocaine moving from South America to Europe. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates up to 30 tons pass through annually, a trade widely blamed for deepening corruption and political violence.
International condemnation
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the coup and called for respect for human rights. The European Union and United States warned of possible targeted measures against the junta.
Local rights groups report at least 18 arrests since Wednesday, including opposition figures and journalists.
Civil society activists in Bissau plan demonstrations next week. “We will not accept another military government,” said Fatima Camara of the Citizens Movement for Democracy.
More than 60% of Guinea-Bissau’s population lives below the poverty line, largely dependent on cashew nut exports that have already been hit by falling global prices.
With AU and ECOWAS pressure mounting, the junta’s promise of elections within one year faces deep scepticism in a country where previous transitional timetables have repeatedly slipped.
Agencies contributed to this report
