Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau on Thursday declared a new junta leader, solidifying a military takeover that began in the aftermath of the country’s presidential election.
In a statement broadcast on state television, the armed forces’ high command installed Gen. Horta Inta-A as the head of a military-led administration that will manage a one-year transition period.
“The failure of political leaders to prevent the worsening political environment ultimately led to the intervention of the armed forces,” Inta-A said. Until the coup, he served as army chief of staff and was considered a close associate of ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
Embaló’s location remained unknown on Thursday. He told French media a day earlier that soldiers had detained him while gunfire erupted around the presidential palace.
Opposition figures, however, accused Embaló of orchestrating the coup narrative himself to avoid facing a likely defeat in Sunday’s tightly contested election.
Fernando Dias, Embaló’s main challenger, claimed that both the coup and the president’s reported arrest were “fabricated” to halt the release of election results expected on Thursday. Like Embaló, Dias also asserted he had won the vote. The Associated Press was unable to independently confirm Dias’ allegations.
Dias and the opposition African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde urged citizens to take to the streets to oppose the military’s actions and demand the publication of official results. Yet by Thursday morning, daily life in the capital, Bissau, appeared to be returning to normal, with shops opening and public transport resuming operations.
