Senegal’s Prime Minister has dismissed reports of a coup attempt in Guinea-Bissau, describing it as a “fabrication.” He accused President Umaro Général Umaro El Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo of using the military to hold onto power after losing the first round of elections.
On Thursday, Guinea-Bissau’s military installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as transitional president, removing civilian authorities before official results from the weekend’s presidential and legislative elections could be announced.
“What happened in Guinea-Bissau was a sham. We want the electoral process to continue,” said Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO during a parliamentary session.
“The [electoral] commission must be allowed to declare the winner.” Embalo has since arrived in Senegal after being released by military forces.
Reports allege he ordered security forces to detain opposition leaders and create chaos to justify a state of emergency. The situation has raised concerns about regional instability, with ECOWAS closely monitoring developments.