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President Umaro Sissoco Embaló escapes to Senegal after soldiers seize power.
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Army installs General Horta N’Tam as transitional leader, arrests key political figures.
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Opposition claims coup was staged to block release of election results.
Guinea-Bissau was thrown into fresh political turmoil on Thursday as President Umaro Sissoco Embaló fled to Senegal following a sudden military takeover that halted the announcement of provisional election results.
Senegalese authorities confirmed that Embaló arrived safely after being briefly detained by soldiers who moved early Thursday to dissolve his government and seize key state institutions.
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The military installed the army chief of staff, General Horta N’Tam, as head of a one-year transitional government. He was sworn in at military headquarters, saying he had taken control of the High Command to “restore order.”
Opposition presidential candidate Fernando Dias da Costa, who claims he won Sunday’s election with 52 percent of the vote, insisted the takeover was orchestrated by Embaló himself to stop him from assuming office. “There wasn’t a coup. It was organised by Mr Embaló,” he said from hiding.
READ ALSO: Jonathan: Guinea-Bissau Crisis ‘A Ceremonial Coup’, ECOWAS, AU Must Release Election Results
The capital, Bissau, shut down as heavily armed troops patrolled streets, closed markets and banned all media broadcasts. Though borders were briefly sealed, the new military leadership later lifted curfews and ordered schools and businesses to reopen.
The African Union, ECOWAS and the European Union condemned the coup, demanding a swift return to constitutional rule.
With four successful coups since 1974, many citizens say the country appears stuck in a loop of instability.
“Every time we feel hopeful, a crisis happens again,” said Mamadou Woury Diallo, a soap seller in Bissau.
