Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and dozens of African election observers remain stuck in Guinea-Bissau after a military coup halted the country’s electoral process and shut its borders.
Jonathan is part of a 36-member joint election observation mission deployed by the African Union (AU), ECOWAS and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) to monitor the November 23 presidential and legislative polls. The delegation, which includes senior former leaders from across the continent, now faces restricted movement as the political situation remains unstable.
A source familiar with the situation reported on Thursday that Jonathan and other mission heads “are still there,” adding that international protocols would guide efforts to resolve the matter.
The mission leaders currently stranded in Bissau include Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, former President of Mozambique and head of the AU observation mission; Issifu Baba Braimah Kamara, leading the ECOWAS mission; and Jonathan, who heads the WAEF delegation. They had been holding final consultations with leading presidential contenders when gunfire erupted around the presidential palace, signalling the start of the coup.
Hours later, General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, declared that a joint command of all armed forces branches had seized control “until further notice.” The military subsequently closed borders, grounded flights and halted the release of official election results.
The coup came amid rising tension, as both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias declared victory despite the electoral commission not having released formal results.
In a joint statement signed in Bissau after the takeover, the AU, ECOWAS and WAEF condemned the military action, describing it as a deliberate attempt to derail Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process. The observer missions noted that the coup announcement followed shortly after their meetings with the two key candidates, both of whom had committed to respecting the final outcome.
The statement criticised the arrest of senior officials, including members of the electoral apparatus, and called for their immediate release. It also urged the armed forces to allow the electoral process to resume and to ensure the safety of all stakeholders.
“We call on the people of Guinea-Bissau to remain calm, and we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the country on its democratic path,” the missions said.
