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Guinea-Bissau’s ousted president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, arrived in the Republic of Congo’s capital, Brazzaville, on Saturday, days after he was overthrown by the military, Congolese government sources told AFP.
Meanwhile, in the capital, Bissau, the West African country’s leading opposition party said its headquarters had been “invaded” by a “heavily armed militia” following the post-election coup that brought the army to power.
The military seized control of the Portuguese-speaking nation on Wednesday — a day before the provisional results of national elections were due to be announced — prompting Embalo to initially leave for neighbouring Senegal.
The true motives for the coup remain unclear, with speculation and conspiracy theories circulating, including claims that the takeover may have occurred with Embalo’s blessing.
“Embalo arrived in Brazzaville late in the morning on a private jet,” a source close to the Congolese government said on condition of anonymity.
A presidency source added that Embalo, who had claimed victory in the election, intended to remain in the country, also known as Congo-Brazzaville.
Embalo, 53, is rumoured to be close to Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso and has visited the Republic of Congo multiple times.
‘Narco-state’
After taking power on Wednesday, the officers in charge said they intervened to restore order, citing a plot by the country’s drug barons to destabilise Guinea-Bissau.
The opposition and some experts, however, suspect that Embalo, in power since 2020, orchestrated the takeover to halt the electoral process.
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Those suspicions grew when the junta appointed General Horta N’Tam, considered a close ally of Embalo, to head a transitional administration expected to last a year.
On Saturday, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), Guinea-Bissau’s powerful opposition party, said its headquarters had been “illegally invaded by heavily armed militia groups” in Bissau.
Elsewhere in the capital, minor clashes broke out between young people and law enforcement officers in a suburb near the headquarters of Fernando Dias, Embalo’s election rival, who was arrested on the day of the coup.
Some political researchers say a high-level turf war over illegal drug smuggling networks may also have contributed to Guinea-Bissau’s instability.
Crippling poverty, chaotic administration, and political turmoil have made Guinea-Bissau a fertile ground for corruption and drug smuggling. The country is a key transit point for Latin American cocaine destined for Europe, leading some analysts to describe it as a “narco-state.”
Senior politicians and military officials are suspected of involvement in the illicit drug trade.
Sandwiched between Senegal and Guinea, Guinea-Bissau has experienced four coups and multiple attempted takeovers since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.
Among the world’s poorest countries, it has now joined Burkina Faso, Mali, Madagascar, Niger, and Sudan on the list of states suspended from the African Union following coups.
