Guinea-Bissau authorities say they have foiled an alleged coup plot weeks before the presidential election, detaining senior military officers accused of planning to disrupt the polls.
Guinea-Bissau’s army says it has foiled an alleged coup attempt aimed at disrupting the upcoming presidential election. In a press conference held Friday in Bissau, Deputy Chief of Staff Mamadu Ture said the “action aimed to disrupt the electoral process.”
Ture accused Brigadier-General Daba Nawalna, director of a military training centre, of masterminding the plot. He confirmed that Nawalna and several others were arrested during a coordinated overnight operation by the army and state security services.
The presidential election is scheduled for November 23, with incumbent President Umaro Embaló widely expected to win after the main opposition was disqualified.
Guinea-Bissau, a Portuguese-speaking West African nation, has a long history of coups and political unrest. The election was initially slated for November 2024 but was postponed due to “political instability and logistical challenges.” Despite claims that his tenure ends in February 2025, Embaló insists his term officially began in November 2020.