An unpredictable post-election crisis has engulfed Guinea-Bissau’s international election observer teams and past heads of government following the abrupt declaration of a coup d’état.
Closing the borders and stopping the voting process three days after general elections, military officers in Guinea-Bissau stated yesterday that they have “total control” of the country.
A Command “composed of all branches of the armed forces, was taking over the leadership of the country until further notice,” presidential military office head General Denis N’Canha informed reporters.
The West African Elders Forum (WAEF), the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), and the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM) lauded the “strong civic engagement” of the Guinea-Bissauan people and the “professionalism demonstrated by polling staff, security personnel, presidential candidates’ and party agents” in the presidential and legislative elections held on November 23 in a joint statement released in Bissau.
Prominent African leaders like Mozambique’s former president Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Equatorial Guinea’s former head of state Issifu Baba Braimah Kamara, and Nigeria’s former head of state Goodluck Jonathan also signed the statement.
The observers, however, were shocked by the military’s decision to assume control at the last minute, while everyone was waiting for the results.
As the nation awaited the results to be announced, “despite these encouraging developments, we express deep concern with the announcement of a coup d’état by the armed forces,” stated the statement.
After meeting with the two main presidential contenders, who both promised to respect the people’s will, the missions took note of how quickly the news arrived.
“We strongly condemn this flagrant effort to undermine the democratic process and all the progress that has been made so far,” the observers stated, calling on the African Union and ECOWAS to implement “key measures to reinstate constitutional order.”
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