Guinea-Bissau’s deposed President Embalo arrives in Senegal after coup

Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the country’s ambassador to Senegal, has arrived in Senegal, the ministry of foreign affairs reported the day after a group of military officers in Guinea-Bissau seized control in a coup.

Embalo arrived in Senegal after authorities engaged with actors in Guinea-Bissau in an effort to extort him, according to a statement released on Thursday night by the country’s foreign ministry.

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Embalo boarded an aircraft that the Senegalese government had authorized, according to the statement.

The Republic of Senegal’s government reiterates its commitment to working with ECOWAS, the African Union, and all relevant partners to promote dialogue, stability, and the establishment of a peaceful, brotherly nation, according to the statement.

After military personnel announced their seizure of “total control” of Guinea-Bissau ahead of the anticipated release of the results of the West African nation’s presidential election, Embalo was removed from office on Wednesday.

Embalo and Fernando Dias, his main rival, had been vying for re-election. Both candidates had won before the preliminary results were released.

Civil society organizations, which claimed the election was unlawful, criticized the main opposition party PAIGC, which was barred from presenting a presidential candidate.

The military officers issued a statement on Wednesday, calling themselves the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order,” informing viewers that they had ordered the immediate suspension of the electoral process “until further notice.”

Additionally, they mandated an overnight curfew and the closure of Guinea-Bissau’s borders.

General Horta Inta-A, who defended the military takeover, sworn in as the nation’s transitional president on Thursday, claiming that the operation had received “sufficient] evidence to support it.”

However, the coup, one of several that has affected Guinea-Bissau since it seceded from Portugal in 1974, has sparked widespread concern, including from regional bodies.

The African Union Commission’s chair earlier on Thursday urged Embalo and all other detained officials to be released immediately and without condition.