ECOWAS, AU kick as military takes over power in Guinea-Bissau
Citizens of Guinea-Bissau who went to the polls on Saturday, woke up to a rude shock when military officers announced on Wednesday that they were taking “total control of the country, suspending its electoral process and closing its borders.”
The current President of the country Umaro Embalo, who is contesting in the presidential race, and the opposition candidate, Fernando Dias, also a frontrunner in the election, had both declared separate victories before the coup.
The announcement by the military saw the sound of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace earlier, with soldiers taking over the main road leading to the building.
General Denis N’Canha, Head of the Presidential Military Office, later told members of the press that a command “composed of all branches of the armed forces, was taking over the leadership of the country until further notice”.
N’Canha who claimed to have discovered a plan to destabilise the country, including “the introduction of weapons into the country to alter the constitutional order”, stated that the entire electoral process had been halted, all media programming suspended, and a mandatory curfew imposed.
Meanwhile the election observation missions to Guinea-Bissau, set up by the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Elders Forum, have condemned the military coup.
In a statement signed by the respective Heads of the missions, Filipe Nyusi, Issifu Kamara, and Goodluck Jonathan, the development was described as “a blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process” in Guinea-Bissau, while calling on AU and ECOWAS to take necessary steps to restore constitutional order.
“We express deep concern with the announcement of coup d’etat by the armed forces, while the nation was waiting for the announcement of the results.
“It is regrettable that this announcement came at a time when the missions had just concluded meeting with the two leading presidential candidates, who assured us of their willingness to accept the will of the people.
“We deplore this blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process and the gains that we have achieved thus far. We request the African Union and the ECOWAS to take the necessary steps to restore constitutional order,” the statement read.
They further demanded the immediate release of detained electoral officials to enable them conclude the electoral process.
“We express concern about the arrests of top officials, including those who are in charge of the electoral process. In this regard, we urge the armed forces to immediately release the detained officials to allow the country’s electoral process to proceed to its conclusion.
“We call on the people of Guinea-Bissau to remain calm, and we affirm our commitment to supporting the country on its democratic path, and in this respect, we underscore the importance of preserving peace, stability, and the well-being of the Bissau Guinean people during this sensitive period,” the statement added.
