Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau took control of the main road leading to the presidential palace on Wednesday after sustained gunfire broke out in the capital, Bissau, as the country awaits results from a fiercely contested presidential election claimed by both leading candidates.
Troops from the presidential guard and an elite gendarmerie unit cordoned off the area, which quickly emptied as residents fled for safety. Calm later returned, and the shooting subsided, AFP reporters said.
The whereabouts of incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló widely viewed as the favourite for re-election remained unclear at midday. The vote, which had been largely peaceful until Wednesday, has now triggered fears of unrest.
Both Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias have already declared victory, despite no official results being released. Provisional results are expected Thursday.
Guinea-Bissau, a small West African nation plagued by chronic instability, has experienced four coups and several attempted coups since independence. It is one of the world’s poorest countries and a major trafficking route for cocaine moving from Latin America to Europe—an illicit trade enabled by its political volatility.
The rival candidates wasted little time claiming success in the polls. Embaló’s campaign spokesperson, Oscar Barbosa, told AFP on Tuesday that the president had secured a second mandate, insisting “there won’t be a second round.”
Dias, in a video posted online, also claimed a first-round victory, saying, “This election has been won.” Guinea-Bissau faced a prolonged post-election standoff in 2019 when both main contenders declared themselves winners.
This year’s election excluded the historic PAIGC party, which led the country to independence in 1974, and its leader, Domingos Simões Pereira. The Supreme Court barred them from the ballot, citing late submission of documentation. The opposition condemned the decision as manipulation, arguing that Embaló’s constitutional mandate expired on February 27.
In 2023, Embaló dissolved the opposition-dominated parliament and has been ruling by decree since then.
More than 6,700 security personnel, including forces from the ECOWAS Stabilisation Mission, were deployed to secure the election and its aftermath as tensions continue to escalate.
