In a strong rebuke to the military takeover in Guinea‑Bissau, Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Friday denounced the coup as a “sham,” demanding that the disrupted electoral process be allowed to resume.
Late this week, soldiers in Bissau seized power installing Horta Inta-a as transitional president just hours before provisional results from the 23 November presidential vote were to be announced.
Sonko, speaking to lawmakers in Dakar, said: “What happened in Guinea‑Bissau was a sham. We want the electoral process to continue. The electoral commission must be allowed to declare the winner.”
The Prime Minister’s condemnation aligns with alarm among regional and international organizations over the recurring pattern of instability in Guinea-Bissau, a country long plagued by coups and political upheaval.
In a bid to consolidate control, the junta appointed a new prime minister and finance minister, Illidio Vieira Te, even as opposition leaders and observers warned that the takeover may have been staged to block results unfavorable to the incumbent.
The regional economic bloc ECOWAS has already suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies. The West African body announced formation of a high-level mediation mission including Senegal to engage the junta and press for restoration of constitutional order and safe release of detained officials.
Meanwhile, the deposed president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, reportedly arrived in Dakar under the protection of Senegalese authorities as part of efforts to defuse tensions and secure the safety of political actors and election observers.
As regional pressure mounts, the coming days will test whether the coup leaders heed calls to reinstate electoral procedures or entrench a new military‑led administration. Many fear the crisis risks undermining stability in one of West Africa’s most fragile states.
By Michelle Ndaga
