Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been caught in the political storm sweeping through Guinea-Bissau after a sudden military takeover forced the closure of all exit routes on Wednesday, leaving hundreds of foreign observers stranded.
Jonathan, who arrived in Bissau earlier in the week as part of an international observer mission for the country’s general elections, is understood to be unable to leave following the abrupt seizure of power by a faction of military officers. The vote had already been conducted, though the official results were yet to be released.
Tension escalated shortly after both leading candidates—incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition contender Fernando Dias—separately declared victory, deepening uncertainty across the West African nation. Within hours, a group identifying itself as the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order announced that it had assumed “total control” of the state.
The officers ordered the suspension of the electoral process “until further notice,” shut all land, air and sea borders, and imposed a night-time curfew, effectively grounding observers, diplomats and travellers who rushed to the airport in hopes of evacuation.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that Jonathan and several high-level delegations remain in secure locations as consultations continue on the safest window for extraction.
The development has triggered fresh concerns across the sub-region, with analysts warning that the seizure of power, coming at a delicate moment when the nation awaited poll results, could further destabilise an already fragile political climate.
Regional blocs and international partners are expected to weigh in as the situation evolves, with calls growing for a swift restoration of constitutional order.
