Guinea-Bissau Rocked by Gunfire Ahead of Tense Election Results Amidst Coup Fears & Political Turmoil

Guinea-Bissau Rocked by Gunfire Ahead of Tense Election Results Amidst Coup Fears

The nation of Guinea-Bissau faced renewed instability on Wednesday as gunfire erupted in its capital, Bissau, mere hours before the anticipated announcement of provisional results from a closely contested presidential and legislative election. Witnesses reported sustained shooting near critical government buildings, including the election commission headquarters, the presidential palace, and the interior ministry.

This alarming incident unfolded in a West African country notorious for its political volatility, having experienced numerous coups since gaining independence. The recent Sunday elections pitted incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo against his main challenger, Fernando Dias. Both candidates had previously claimed victory in the first round, intensifying the political climate.

A Reuters journalist and local residents described about an hour of gunfire, which seemingly ceased around 1400 GMT. A significant military presence was observed around the presidential palace, with reports of panicked residents fleeing the affected areas.

Conflicting Narratives Emerge

Immediately following the events, spokespersons for both political factions presented starkly different accounts. Antonio Yaya Seidy, a spokesperson for President Embalo, alleged that unidentified assailants, whom he linked to Dias without providing evidence, attacked the election commission to obstruct the release of election results.

Conversely, former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, a prominent figure who lost to Embalo in a disputed 2019 runoff and now backs Dias, vehemently denied any involvement from Dias's camp. Pereira, who was reportedly with Dias meeting election observers when news of the gunfire broke, suggested that Embalo might be orchestrating a simulated coup. Pereira speculated this could be a pre-emptive move by Embalo to declare an emergency, fearing an electoral defeat – a claim for which he also offered no concrete proof.

A History of Instability

Guinea-Bissau’s political landscape is marked by a history of turmoil. President Embalo himself has stated he survived three coup attempts, though critics often accuse him of fabricating crises to justify political crackdowns. A similar episode in December 2023 saw hours of gunfire in Bissau, which the government then labeled an attempted putsch, leading Embalo to dissolve parliament and leaving the country without a functioning legislature since.

The small coastal nation, situated between Senegal and Guinea, endured at least nine coups between its independence from Portugal in 1974 and Embalo's assumption of office in 2020. Embalo sought to become the first president in three decades to secure a second consecutive term.

Adding to the complexities of this election, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), a historic party that spearheaded the independence movement and is led by Domingos Simoes Pereira, was controversially barred from fielding candidates. Authorities cited late filing of paperwork as the reason, further polarizing the electoral process.