By Obinna Uballa
Guinea-Bissau’s political crisis deepened on Thursday after the country’s military announced that General Horta Inta-A had been appointed to lead a one-year transitional administration, days after a disputed presidential election threw the nation into turmoil.
The announcement, made via state broadcaster TGB, marks the latest twist in an unfolding power struggle that has left the capital, Bissau, tense and largely deserted. Residents told reporters that soldiers have taken positions at key installations across the city, heightening fears of prolonged instability.
On Wednesday, a faction of military officers declared they had seized power, accusing politicians and a notorious drug baron of plotting to manipulate the election results and destabilise the country. The claim, made without concrete evidence, has added to widespread confusion, especially as the electoral commission has yet to release official results, reports said.
Both President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias had declared themselves winners, escalating political rivalry even before the alleged coup. Reports suggest that both men are now being detained by the military. Embaló said in an interview with a French outlet that although he was in custody, he had not been harmed.
Guinea-Bissau, said to be a key transit hub in the international cocaine trade, has long struggled with instability. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has witnessed multiple coups and attempted power grabs, often driven by tensions between political elites, the military, and criminal networks.
Embaló, a former army general who took office in 2020, dissolved the national parliament late last year and has frequently spoken of plots to unseat him, including a claimed attempt in October.
