THIS DAWN — International Election Observation Missions deployed to Guinea-Bissau’s November 23 presidential and legislative elections have strongly condemned the military coup announced on Wednesday.
The observers demanded immediate steps to restore constitutional order in the West African nation.
In a joint statement issued on November 26, the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM), the African Union (AU) Mission, and the West African Elders’ Forum (WAEF) decried the military takeover.
The groups described it as “a blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process and the gains that have been achieved thus far.”
They urged ECOWAS and the AU to “take the necessary steps to restore constitutional order”, following the suspension of the electoral process by the armed forces.
The observers expressed deep concern over the arrest of senior government figures, including officials responsible for overseeing the electoral process.
They demanded their immediate release to enable the continuation of vote tabulation and the timely announcement of results.
Army take-over
Earlier on Wednesday, a group of military officers declared that the armed forces had “taken control” of the country.
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and several members of his administration are reportedly in custody.
The officers also imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew, shut down the country’s airport and land and sea borders, and halted the electoral process indefinitely.
They alleged attempts by unnamed “drug lords to destabilise the country.”
The National Electoral Commission (CNE) had been scheduled to release the official results of the tightly contested polls on Thursday, November 27.
Both President Embaló and independent candidate Fernando Dias had claimed victory, setting the stage for a high-stakes announcement.
According to the observers, the voting exercise had concluded “orderly and peacefully,” making the sudden military intervention especially alarming.
The missions noted that the coup announcement came just hours after they held separate meetings with the two leading presidential candidates.
Abrogated promises
The candidates, meanwhile, reportedly pledged to abide by the people’s verdict.
“It is regrettable that this announcement came at a time when the Missions had just concluded meetings… who assured us of their willingness to accept the will of the people,” the statement read.
Calling on citizens to remain calm, the observers reaffirmed their organisations’ commitment to supporting Guinea-Bissau’s democratic trajectory.
They emphasised the need to safeguard peace and stability during what they described as a “sensitive and uncertain period” for the nation.
The ECOWAS Mission is headed by Ambassador Baba Kamara, Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Nigeria and ex-National Security Adviser.
On the other hand, the AU team is led by former Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi.
The West African Elders’ Forum delegation is chaired by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and includes former ECOWAS Commission President Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas.
Other international observer groups—including the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) and the g7+ bloc of conflict-affected nations—had earlier released their preliminary findings.
They commended the conduct of the polls before the unfolding crisis.
