General Horta Inta-A Na Man has appointed a close ally of deposed president Umaro Sissoco Embalo as prime minister, deepening questions over whether the recent coup was genuine or staged.
General Horta Inta-A, who declared himself transitional president on Thursday, on Friday named Ilidio Vieira Te – Embalo’s former finance minister and campaign director – as Guinea-Bissau’s new prime minister.
During a brief swearing-in ceremony in Bissau, Inta-A told Te that citizens “expect a lot” from the new leadership and urged the military government and the prime minister to “continue to work hand-in-hand”.
Ally of ousted leader takes top civilian post
The appointment of Te, a loyalist who ran Embalo’s re-election campaign in the 23 November presidential vote, has intensified speculation that the 26 November military takeover was orchestrated by Embalo himself to avoid defeat.
Both Embalo and main opposition challenger Fernando Dias had declared victory before provisional results could be released. The military stepped in on the eve of the announcement, claiming “total control” of the country.
History of instability
Guinea-Bissau, a nation of 2.2 million people, has suffered repeated coups and attempted coups since independence from Portugal in 1974. Chronic poverty and its role as a cocaine transit hub between Latin America and Europe have long fuelled political turmoil.
Accusations of “ceremonial coup”
Opposition candidate Fernando Dias told reporters he believes he won the election and accused Embalo of staging the takeover. Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, who headed a West African election observer mission, called it a “ceremonial coup”.
“A military does not overthrow a president and then allow that same president to hold press conferences announcing his own arrest,” Jonathan said after leaving Bissau.
Embalo has taken refuge in neighbouring Senegal, where Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko dismissed the events as a “sham” and demanded the electoral commission be allowed to declare the winner.
Swift international condemnation
On Friday the African Union suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its activities with immediate effect. Earlier, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) froze the country’s participation in decision-making bodies and ordered the military back to barracks.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the “unacceptable violation of democratic principles”, while the European Union called for an immediate return to constitutional order and resumption of the electoral process.
Human rights concerns
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said at least 18 people, including government officials, magistrates and opposition politicians, have been arbitrarily detained and most remain held incommunicado.
Türk expressed alarm at reports of intimidation of journalists and media outlets, urging the immediate release of all detainees and full respect for fundamental freedoms.
Calm returns to Bissau
Life in the capital is slowly normalising. The junta lifted an overnight curfew, removed army checkpoints and allowed markets, banks and the stock exchange to reopen.
“I went back to work because if I stay home I have nothing to eat,” 25-year-old street vendor Boubacar Embalo, no relation to the former president, told reporters.
Residents are divided: some quietly hope the military will bring stability, while others fear another prolonged period of uncertainty.
With election results still withheld and regional mediators preparing to intervene, Guinea-Bissau’s fragile democracy remains in limbo. Observers warn that failure to restore civilian rule quickly risks entrenching yet another cycle of military dominance in the troubled West African state.
