The AU Suspends Guinea-Bissau After A Quiet Coup
The African Union suspended Guinea-Bissau on Friday, according to the AU Commission head, two days after President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was deposed in a military coup.
The military said on Wednesday that it had ousted Embalo, delaying the declaration of election results in the Portuguese-speaking West African nation.
According to Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the AU has voted “to suspend Guinea-Bissau from its bodies with immediate effect”.
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMNS THE MILITARY COUP D’ETAT IN GUINEA BISSAU
— African Union (@_AfricanUnion) November 27, 2025
Addis Ababa, 26 November 2025 : The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, unequivocally condemns the military coup d’État that took place in… pic.twitter.com/90MSlV7ko8
The junta nominated General Horta N’Tam, the former army chief of staff, as president of the transition, which would last one year.
🇬🇼 Military took power and deposed the president in Guinea-Bissau!
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) November 26, 2025
Bregadier general Denis N'Canha:
– The politicians are plotting with "drug lords" to destabilize country
– The government attempted to manipulate the elections
– The president was removed
– The electoral process… pic.twitter.com/6E1SLnpWRT
Following his initial arrest by the military, Embalo fled to Senegal on Thursday.
Fernando Dias, the opposition presidential candidate who claims to have won the poll, told AFP he was “safe” and hiding in the country.
The military coup has drawn widespread criticism. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “unacceptable violation of democratic principles”.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also suspended the country from “all decision-making bodies”.
ECOWAS suspends Guinea-Bissau from the organization, and calls the military junta to "return to their barracks", a mediation mission will engage with the coup leaders, the mission will include the Presidents of 🇹🇬 Togo, 🇸🇳 Senegal and 🇨🇻 Cabo Verde and the President of… https://t.co/jweGuUvxgA pic.twitter.com/ix2toxb65r
— Brant (@BrantPhilip_) November 28, 2025
Guinea-Bissau, located between Senegal and Guinea, has seen four coups and several attempts since obtaining independence from Portugal in 1974. Its election results are frequently challenged.
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It is one of the world’s poorest countries, but it also serves as a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a trade made possible by the country’s lengthy history of political turmoil.
Guinea-Bissau joins a number of other countries that suffered suspension by the AU following coups across the continent, including in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Sudan, and, more recently, Madagascar.
Sanctions were lifted in April against Gabon, a Central African country, suspended after the overthrow of President Ali Bongo.
The AU Suspends Guinea-Bissau After A Quiet Coup
