Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has safely left Guinea-Bissau following the military takeover that toppled the country’s government, the Federal Government confirmed on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said, “Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau.”
Jonathan had been leading the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission during last Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections when the military announced it had seized power. In a joint statement on Wednesday, Jonathan, along with Filipe Nyusi, former president of Mozambique and head of the African Union Election Observation Mission, and Issifu Kamara, head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, condemned the coup, describing it as a deliberate attempt to disrupt Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process. They appealed for calm and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the country during the crisis.
The Federal Government also condemned the coup in strong terms. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the seizure as an unconstitutional change of government and a violation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. It warned that the coup poses a serious threat to democracy and regional stability.
Guinea-Bissau descended into turmoil on Wednesday after military officers declared “total control” of the country, suspended electoral activities, and closed borders. Heavy gunfire was reported near the presidential palace, while 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 assumed leadership “until further notice.”
Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo confirmed in an interview with France24 that he had been deposed. He was reportedly confined in a building behind military headquarters alongside the chief of staff and the interior minister. Both Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias had already claimed victory in Sunday’s polls, with provisional results expected later in the week.
The military claimed it had uncovered a plot involving “national drug lords” and the importation of weapons “to alter the constitutional order.” Later on Thursday, General Lansana Mansali, Inspector General of the Armed Forces, announced that the country’s borders had been reopened.
Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest nations, has a history of political instability, with four successful coups and several failed attempts since independence. Over 6,700 security personnel, including members of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force, had been deployed for the elections amid widespread tension.
