Guinea-Bissau’s military leadership announced the arrest of a group of senior army officers accused of attempting to stage a coup against President Umaro Sissoco Embalo’s administration. The arrests took place on Thursday night in the capital, Bissau, according to the deputy chief of staff of the armed forces, Mamadou Kourouma.
Among those detained are General Dahaba Na Walna and Commanders Domingos Nhanke and Mario Midana. Kourouma described the arrests as part of an ongoing investigation into what he called a “new attempt to subvert the constitutional order,” just days before the start of the campaign for the legislative and presidential elections scheduled for November 23.
Political unrest and military coups have been a recurring challenge for the small West African nation since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974. President Embalo, who came to power in 2020, has already survived two alleged coup attempts during his tenure, the most recent one in December 2023.
Tensions have been escalating in recent months between the president and opposition groups, who argue that Embalo’s mandate expired at the end of February. However, the Supreme Court ruled that his term officially runs until September 4. Despite earlier pledges not to seek re-election, Embalo announced in March that he would contest for a second term in the upcoming vote.
The government has yet to release full details about the number of officers detained or the evidence behind the alleged coup plot.