Ousted Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló Arrives in Senegal

The military leadership in Guinea-Bissau announced on Thursday the appointment of a new head of the military council in the country, reinforcing the power grab that began following disputed presidential elections, which led to the ousted president Umaro Sissoco Embaló leaving for neighboring Senegal.

According to an announcement broadcast by state television, senior military leaders in the West African nation installed General Horta Inta-A as head of the military government, which will oversee a one-year transitional period.

Meanwhile, Embaló arrived in Senegal on a plane chartered by the Senegalese government, which was "in direct contact with all relevant actors in Guinea-Bissau," according to a statement from the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which promised the country would work with partners to restore democracy in Guinea-Bissau.

Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world, having been ravaged by coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal over 50 years ago, including an attempted coup that occurred last October. This country, with a population of 2.2 million, is known as a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a phenomenon that experts say has fueled its political crises.

Hours after the opposition called for protests against the coup and demanded the release of election results that were supposed to be published earlier on Thursday, the military authorities issued a statement banning public protests and "all actions that disrupt peace and stability in the country."

In a previous statement, General Inta-A, who was the chief of staff of the army until the coup and a close ally of the ousted president, said: "The failure of political actors to halt the deterioration of the political climate is what ultimately drove the armed forces to intervene."

The military authorities previously stated that Embaló and other prominent figures arrested during the coup were in good health and would remain in custody. The conditions of Embaló's departure to Senegal were not immediately clear.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, condemned the coup, calling for the unconditional release of Embaló and other detained officials and for respect for the electoral process.

The regional bloc of West Africa known as ECOWAS also held a virtual meeting of heads of state where it condemned the coup and the "illegal detention" of Embaló. Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio, who serves as ECOWAS Chair, stated: "Our response will be firm, principled, and consistent with our history."

Several other countries, including France, condemned the coup and called for respect for constitutional order.