Guinea-Bissau’s main opposition candidate, Fernando Dias, has accused ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of staging a fake coup in an attempt to cling to power following last week’s disputed presidential election.
Dias, who was Embaló’s closest challenger, insists he won the tightly contested vote, which both men have separately claimed victory in.
In a video message released online, he argued that the alleged coup makes no sense if he was the actual winner.
“I am the winner of the elections. I have polling station reports confirming my victory.
“I won, so how could I be involved in a coup? The question is: who is really behind this?” Dias said.
The military seized power on Wednesday and installed General Horta Inta-A, a former ally of Embaló, as the transitional president.
The junta says it will oversee a one-year transition period.
Embaló’s whereabouts remain unclear.
He told French media on Wednesday that soldiers had arrested him, but the military leadership has not confirmed this.
Opposition groups have called for nationwide protests to demand the publication of official election results.
Despite the tensions, daily activities in the capital, Bissau, appeared largely normal on Thursday, with businesses reopening and public transport operating.
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which has historically dominated Guinea-Bissau politics, was barred from participating in the election. Its leader, former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, threw his support behind Dias.
The unfolding crisis marks yet another chapter in Guinea-Bissau’s long history of political instability.
Since independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has experienced numerous coups and attempted coups.
It also adds to the growing list of recent military takeovers in West Africa, where contested elections and democratic setbacks continue to fuel military interventions.
