Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is among hundreds of foreign election observers stranded in Guinea-Bissau following a dramatic military takeover just hours before official presidential election results were due.
Jonathan arrived in the West African nation as head of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observation Mission. He and other observers have been unable to leave after the military seized power, shut down borders, and imposed a nationwide curfew.
According to reports, panic gripped diplomats and election monitors who rushed to Osvaldo Vieira International Airport shortly after the coup announcement. Soldiers, however, sealed off all land, air, and sea routes, leaving hundreds trapped.
A group identifying itself as the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” declared it had taken “total control” of the country, one day after both leading candidates—incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition contender Fernando Dias—claimed victory. The coup leaders announced the suspension of the electoral process until further notice, closure of national borders, and imposition of an overnight curfew.
Speaking to France24 by phone, President Embaló confirmed he had been deposed and was being held at the general staff headquarters. Reports indicate that opposition leader and PAIGC figure Domingos Simões Pereira was also detained. Observers noted that internet connectivity in the capital was being progressively cut.
According to one international observer, the coup was led by Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential guard. “The man supposed to protect the president himself has put him under arrest,” the source said.
Jonathan, who had been posting updates about the mission on social media, arrived in Guinea-Bissau ahead of the November 23 presidential and parliamentary elections. Prior to the coup, he expressed hope for a peaceful and transparent electoral process and reported that the WAEF team had toured several polling stations on election day.