Guinea-Bissau Military Appoints Gen Horta Inta-A as Interim Leader After Disputed Election

Guinea-Bissau slipped deeper into political turmoil on Thursday after the military named General Horta Inta-A as head of a new transitional junta, just days after a disputed presidential election.

State broadcaster TGB announced that the general will lead a one-year transition period, though details surrounding the military’s takeover and the balance of power within the armed forces remain unclear.

Residents in the capital, Bissau, told dpa that major roads were empty as soldiers mounted heavy security around government buildings and other strategic locations. The tense atmosphere, they said, reflects growing uncertainty over who is truly in control.

The announcement comes a day after a faction of military officers claimed they had seized power to thwart an alleged plot to manipulate election results. The officers accused unnamed politicians and a well-known drug trafficker of attempting to rig the polls and destabilise the country.

Guinea-Bissau, a key transit route for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe, has endured decades of political instability, marked by repeated coups and power struggles since independence from Portugal in 1974.

Deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló told a French news outlet that he had been detained but not harmed. His main rival, Fernando Dias, was also reportedly taken into custody.

Both Embaló and Dias had declared victory in Sunday’s election, but the official results remain unpublished — a delay that has deepened public distrust and heightened tensions.

Embaló, who assumed office in 2020 and dissolved parliament in late 2023, has repeatedly claimed that his government has faced multiple coup attempts, including one as recently as October.