A group of army officers have announced they have seized power in Guinea-Bissau, ahead of the expected announcement of results from a disputed presidential election, Reuters reports.
In a statement read on state television, the officers said they had ousted President Umaro Sissoko Embalo, suspended the election process, closed the borders and imposed a curfew. They have created a "High Military Command for the Restoration of Order" to govern the country until further notice.
Witnesses reported gunfire in the area around the electoral commission headquarters, the presidential palace and the interior ministry. The incident lasted about an hour, ending at 2:00 p.m. local time. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The electoral commission was due to announce preliminary results from Sunday's election, in which Embalo was competing with main challenger Fernando Diaz. Both sides claimed victory in the first round.
Embalo is seeking to become the first president in three decades to win a second consecutive term in Guinea-Bissau. His spokesman, Antonio Yaya Seydi, said unidentified gunmen had attacked the electoral commission to block the announcement of results, suggesting the attackers were linked to Diaz, without providing evidence. A spokesman for Diaz did not comment.
Former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, who supported Diaz in this election, denied a link between the candidate and the attack.
Guinea-Bissau has a history of at least nine coups and attempted coups since its independence in 1974 until Embalo took office in 2020. He has survived three attempts to overthrow him during his rule, and critics accuse him of using crises as a justification for repression.