Reports from multiple media houses suggest a coup is unfolding in Guinea-Bissau as heavy gunfire erupted across central Bissau on Wednesday, striking near key government sites including the electoral commission headquarters, the interior ministry and the presidential palace.
According to unconfirmed but widely circulated by accounts on social media, soldiers have arrested President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, just as the country awaited official results from the presidential election held on Sunday. At least one local media source claims the arrest took place around midday while Embaló was at his office in the presidential palace.
Earlier today, according to reports from Reuter news, sustained gunfire near the headquarters of the national electoral commission was witnessed by residents in Guinea Bissau, who said people were fleeing in panic.
Gunfire has also spread to other government buildings, raising fears that the unrest is coordinated and far-reaching.
The turmoil compounds existing tensions between Embaló and his main rival, Fernando Dias, who have both claimed victory in the election, before any official results were released.
The conflicting claims have heightened unease across the capital, owing to Guinea-Bissau’s long history of coups and attempted power grabs since independence from Portugal in 1974.
As of now, as observed by Truth Live News, no official confirmation of Embaló’s arrest has been released by the presidency or the armed forces. International observers and regional blocs will likely issue statements in the hours ahead.