"Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau have announced they were taking total control of the west African country, three days after elections in which the two main presidential contenders claimed to have won. Military officers said they were suspending Guinea-Bissau's electoral process and closing its borders, in a statement read out at the army's headquarters in the capital Bissau and broadcast on state TV. They said they had formed the high military command for the restoration of order, which would rule the country until further notice."
"Earlier on Wednesday, shots were heard near the election commission headquarters, presidential palace and interior ministry, although it was not clear who was responsible. The military takeover is the latest in a string of coups and attempted coups in Guinea-Bissau since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974. The average yearly income in the country of 2.2 million people was just $963 (728) in 2024, according to the World Bank."
"The UN labelled Guinea-Bissau a narco state in 2008 due to its role as a hub for the global cocaine trade. Situated between Senegal and Guinea, its coastline features numerous river deltas and the 88 islands of the Bijagos archipelago, which experts said had provided the natural, discrete drop-off points used by Colombian drug cartels. The incumbent president Umaro Sissoco Embalo had been vying to become the first president to win a second term in power in three decades."
Soldiers declared total control of Guinea-Bissau three days after a presidential vote in which both main contenders claimed victory. Military officers announced suspension of the electoral process, closure of borders and formation of a high military command to rule until further notice. Shots were reported near major government and electoral sites, with competing accusations but no evidence presented. The country has a history of coups and chronic instability since independence in 1974. Low average income and a 2008 UN designation as a narco state reflect entrenched economic and criminal challenges tied to drug trafficking routes through coastal islands.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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