Deposed Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has landed in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo, days after a dramatic military takeover ended his presidency, sources confirmed to Reuters and AFP on Saturday.
Embaló, who initially fled to Senegal aboard a special flight, is now in Congo as the military consolidates power in Bissau.
Major-General Horta Inta-a was swiftly installed as transitional president on Thursday, hours after soldiers interrupted the announcement of last weekend’s presidential and legislative election results.
The swift intervention marks the latest episode in Guinea-Bissau’s decades-long cycle of political instability.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who headed the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observer Mission, has controversially described the takeover not as a conventional military coup but as a “ceremonial coup” allegedly orchestrated by Embaló himself.
Speaking in Abuja after briefing President Bola Tinubu on the crisis, Jonathan said: “What happened in Guinea-Bissau was not a palace coup. I struggled to find the right word, so I called it a ceremonial coup. It was a ceremony conducted by the Head of State himself.”
Jonathan stressed that voting and vote tallying had virtually concluded and the winner is already known internally.
He urged ECOWAS to engage the military leadership immediately to release detained opposition figures who committed no offence, publicly announce the election results and allow the legitimate winner to be inaugurated.
“You cannot remove the military by force without loss of life,” Jonathan cautioned, “but the right thing must be done: announce the winner and let democracy prevail.”
The evolving situation continues to draw sharp regional and international attention as West African leaders weigh their response to yet another disruption of constitutional order in the sub-region.
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