By: Abdoulie John
A major political crisis has erupted in Guinea-Bissau after Frente Popular, a broad coalition of opposition parties and civil society groups, publicly accused President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of orchestrating a “coup d’état” to cling to power and block the announcement of presidential election results.
In a strongly worded statement released Wednesday, Frente Popular claimed the incumbent abruptly halted the electoral process to “override the will of the people” and prevent the National Elections Commission from publishing final results that reportedly favor the opposition.
“This so-called coup d’état is aimed at preventing the publication of the results by the country’s electoral body,” the coalition declared, describing the move as a blatant attempt to subvert democracy in the small West African nation.
Adding to the surreal atmosphere, Frente Popular sarcastically questioned the official narrative that President Embaló is being “detained” by the military while simultaneously granting interviews to international media outlets. “How can he be detained by the army while continuing to grant interviews to international media?” the statement asked.
Meanwhile, credible reports reaching The Alkamba Times confirm that opposition presidential candidate Fernando Dias da Costa was forcibly removed from his residence by security forces late Wednesday and taken to an undisclosed location. Dias da Costa had been widely projected as the likely winner of the contested election.
As uncertainty clouds the capital Bissau, with heavy security presence reported across the city, Guinea-Bissau appears on the brink of yet another chapter in its long history of political instability.
