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Goodluck Jonathan Safe After Guinea‑Bissau Coup
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has safely left Guinea‑Bissau following the military coup that toppled the country’s government, the Federal Government confirmed on Thursday.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, told journalists in Abuja that Jonathan departed on a special flight alongside members of his delegation, including Mohamed Chambas. Jonathan had been in Guinea‑Bissau leading the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission during last Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections when the coup was announced.
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In a joint statement issued Wednesday, Filipe Nyusi, former president of Mozambique and Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission; Issifu Kamara, Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission; and Jonathan condemned the coup, describing it as a direct attempt to derail Guinea‑Bissau’s democratic process. They appealed for calm and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the country during this sensitive period, stressing the importance of preserving peace, stability, and the well‑being of the Bissau‑Guinean people.
The Federal Government also strongly condemned the coup, warning that it poses a serious threat to democracy and regional stability. In its statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the development as an unconstitutional change of government and a violation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
Guinea‑Bissau was thrown into turmoil on Wednesday after military officers declared “total control” of the country, closed its borders, and suspended electoral activities. Heavy gunfire was reported near the presidential palace, and soldiers blocked major access routes. General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, announced that a command composed of all branches of the armed forces had taken over leadership until further notice.
In a phone call with France24, incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo confirmed, “I have been deposed.” He was reportedly inside a building near military headquarters with the chief of staff and the minister of the interior. Both Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias had already claimed victory in Sunday’s polls, with provisional results expected Thursday.
The military claimed it uncovered a plot involving drug lords and the importation of weapons to alter the constitutional order. Later on Thursday, military authorities announced that the country’s borders had been reopened. General Lansana Mansali, Inspector General of the Armed Forces, told AFP, “All borders are now open.”
More than 6,700 security personnel, including members of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force, had been deployed for the elections amid heightened political tension. Guinea‑Bissau, one of the world’s poorest nations, has faced repeated coups, with four successful takeovers and several failed attempts since independence.
