Guinea-Bissau authorities say they have foiled an alleged coup attempt less than 24 hours before the commencement of election campaigns slated for Saturday.
During a press briefing in Bissau, the nation’s capital, on Friday, Mamadu Ture, deputy chief of staff, stated that the “action aimed to disrupt the electoral process.”
Ture did not disclose the number of military personnel arrested but identified Daba Nawalna, a brigadier-general and director of a military training centre, as the alleged mastermind behind the plot.
Nawalna and several suspected accomplices were arrested in a joint overnight operation carried out by the army and state security agencies.
Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election is set for November 23, with incumbent President Umaro Embaló widely expected to secure re-election following the disqualification of his main opposition rival.
The Portuguese-speaking West African nation, however, continues to face longstanding political instability.
The election was initially planned for November 2024 but was postponed by Embaló, who cited political unrest, logistical constraints, and disputes over presidential term limits as reasons for the delay.
Opposition parties and judicial authorities have questioned the legitimacy of Embaló’s continued stay in office, arguing that his tenure should have ended in February 2025.
The president, however, maintains that his official term began in November 2020, following the resolution of post-election legal challenges.
Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has endured multiple coups and political crises. Though the 2014 presidential election ushered in a period of relative calm, persistent power struggles, alleged coup plots, and institutional conflicts continue to endanger the country’s fragile democracy.