-
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and foreign observers stranded after Guinea-Bissau military takeover halts flights and shuts borders.
-
Soldiers declare “total control”, arrest President Embaló and opposition leaders, suspend elections and impose curfew.
-
Jonathan confirms safety through associates as WAEF, AU leaders condemn coup and demand immediate restoration of constitutional order.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan is currently stranded in Guinea-Bissau following Wednesday’s military takeover that disrupted the country’s electoral process and sealed all borders.
Jonathan, who arrived in the country as head of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) observer mission, is among hundreds of foreign officials unable to leave after soldiers announced they had seized “total control” of the West African nation.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
The coup unfolded as authorities prepared to release official results of Sunday’s presidential election, in which both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition figure Fernando Dias had separately claimed victory.
A group of senior military officers, identifying themselves as the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order, suspended the electoral process “until further notice” and ordered the closure of land, air and sea borders. A curfew was immediately imposed.
President Embaló later told France24 that he had been “deposed” and was being held at the general staff headquarters. The head of the main opposition party, PAIGC leader Domingos Simões Pereira, was also arrested, according to reports.
READ ALSO: Jonathan Warns Nigeria’s Politics Is Now Ruled by Rascality
Sources told Daily Trust that Jonathan is safe but unable to leave the country. His former spokesman, Ima Niboro, said he had spoken with people close to the former president, who confirmed that Jonathan and his delegation were “trapped but safe.”
The military takeover has triggered widespread confusion, with reports of foreign observers rushing to the airport only to find flights grounded and borders sealed.
Jonathan, who had earlier visited polling stations and commended the conduct of the election, joined other African leaders in condemning the coup. In a joint statement, they criticised the attempt to derail Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process and called on ECOWAS and the African Union to intervene swiftly.
“We deplore this blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process,” the statement said, urging the immediate release of detained officials and the continuation of the electoral process. The leaders also appealed for calm, stressing the need to preserve stability and safeguard the well-being of the Bissau-Guinean people.
The coup marks the latest chapter in Guinea-Bissau’s long history of political instability, characterised by multiple coups and attempted takeovers since independence.
