Trouble in Guinea-Bissau: Soldiers Take Charge After Election Drama

In Guinea-Bissau, soldiers have taken control, announcing their move on state TV. This happened just days after a national election, with reports of gunfire near the presidential palace. The president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, told French media that he had been removed from power and arrested. The soldiers' spokesperson, Dinis N’Tchama, said they acted because they found a plan to mess with the election results. He claimed that some politicians, along with a known drug trafficker and others, were behind this scheme. The soldiers also stopped the election process, shut down media outlets, and closed the country's borders. Guinea-Bissau has a history of coups, with four successful ones since it became independent. The country is also known as a key spot for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe. The election, which happened on Sunday, was supposed to be peaceful. But both the current president and the opposition candidate claimed victory before the official results were even out. On Wednesday, gunshots were heard near the presidential palace, and roads were blocked by armed soldiers. An international election observer said the head of the election commission was arrested, and the commission's office was sealed off by the military. The president told French TV that he was arrested in a coup led by the army chief of staff but said he wasn't hurt. Embaló has been facing questions about his legitimacy. The opposition says his term ended earlier this year, but the Supreme Court ruled it should go until September. The election was delayed until this month.