Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is currently unable to leave Guinea-Bissau after a group of military officers announced they had seized control of the government on Wednesday.
Jonathan, who is in the country as part of an international elections observer mission, is among hundreds of foreign observers stranded after the junta ordered an immediate closure of all land, air, and sea borders.
According to Daily Trust, observers rushed to the airport shortly after news of the coup broke, but were prevented from departing as the military sealed exit routes and suspended all movement.
The takeover occurred a day after both major contenders in Sunday’s election — incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias — separately declared victory despite the absence of official results from the electoral commission.
The officers, operating under the name “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order,” announced they had assumed “total control” of the country. They also suspended the electoral process “until further notice” and imposed an overnight curfew nationwide.
In a phone interview with France24, Embaló confirmed his ouster, stating, “I have been deposed,” and disclosed that he was being held at the military general staff headquarters.
The head of the main opposition PAIGC party, Domingos Simões Pereira, has also reportedly been arrested.
Tension remains high as the international community monitors developments and awaits clarity on the junta’s next steps.