BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau — In a swift move following a contentious military takeover, soldiers in Guinea-Bissau have named a longtime ally of the ousted president as the country's new prime minister, deepening the political turmoil in the West African nation.
On Friday, Gen. Horta Inta-a, the newly installed military leader, issued a decree appointing Ilídio Vieira Té, the former finance minister, to the prime minister position. Vieira Té, who served as campaign director for deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló during the presidential election held on Sunday, was described by military officials as the choice to stabilize the government amid the crisis.
The appointment comes just days after soldiers seized power on Wednesday, three days after the closely contested vote that has sparked widespread allegations of fraud and manipulation. The opposition, led by Embaló's rival Fernando Dias, has accused the president of orchestrating the coup himself to evade what they claim was an impending electoral loss. "The military takeover and the reported arrest of Embaló were manufactured to disrupt election results," Dias said, adding that he, like Embaló, had declared victory in the vote.
Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony with a population of about 2.2 million, has a long history of political instability since gaining independence more than 50 years ago. The country has endured multiple coups and attempted coups, including one in October, and is notorious as a transit hub for drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe — a factor experts say exacerbates its governance challenges and fuels cycles of unrest.
By Friday, signs of normalcy were returning to the capital, Bissau. The High Military Command lifted the curfew imposed during the takeover, allowing free movement of people and resumption of public transportation across all neighborhoods. Army checkpoints were dismantled, and key economic sites — including the main stock exchange, markets in outlying districts, and commercial banks — reopened for business. Residents reported a sense of calm, with vehicles and pedestrians filling the streets once more.
Meanwhile, President Embaló, who was reportedly arrested during the initial stages of the takeover, has left the country. He arrived in neighboring Senegal on Thursday aboard a flight chartered by the Senegalese government. Senegal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrangement in a statement, noting that Dakar has been "in direct communication with all concerned Guinea-Bissau actors" and pledging to collaborate with international partners to restore democracy in the fragile nation.
Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko echoed the opposition's suspicions during a parliamentary session on Friday, labeling the events in Guinea-Bissau a "scheme." He urged the immediate release of arrested opposition members and emphasized the need to complete the democratic process. "The democratic process must be carried through to the end and the results announced," Sonko said, highlighting regional concerns over the interruption of the electoral timeline.
The crisis has prompted a strong response from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the 15-nation bloc founded in 1975 to foster economic integration and address political and security issues across the region. Late Thursday, ECOWAS announced the suspension of Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies "until the restoration of full and effective constitutional order in the country."
In a statement, the organization reserved "the right to use all options" under its protocols, including potential sanctions against entities blamed for derailing the elections. To mediate, ECOWAS plans to dispatch a high-level team led by its chair, alongside the presidents of Togo, Cabo Verde, and Senegal, to Bissau. The delegation aims to engage coup leaders and push for a return to constitutional rule.
ECOWAS has faced mounting challenges in countering the wave of coups in West Africa, where public frustration over unexploited natural resources has eroded trust in elected governments. Recent efforts, such as sanctions against military juntas in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, and threats of intervention in Niger, ultimately led those three nations to withdraw from the bloc earlier this year. The Guinea-Bissau situation tests the organization's resolve once again.
Bakary Sambe, director of the Timbuktu Institute for Peace Studies based in Senegal, described the unfolding events as shrouded in uncertainty. "We are in a state of total uncertainty, caught between an unfinished electoral process and a disruption of constitutional order caused by a coup, which has led to contradictory interpretations and various questions," Sambe said in an interview.
He suggested that ECOWAS appears to be proceeding cautiously, learning from past missteps. "The regional organization appears to have learned from the mistakes made in Niger and is trying as much as possible to temper its inclination to impose sanctions," Sambe added, warning that hasty measures could prove counterproductive in a context of competing narratives about the coup's origins.
The disputed election on Sunday pitted Embaló, who has held power since 2019 amid ongoing instability, against Dias, a prominent opposition figure. Both candidates claimed victory shortly after polls closed, setting the stage for the military's intervention. Reports of Embaló's brief arrest surfaced Wednesday, though details remain murky, with the opposition insisting it was a staged event to buy time and challenge the results.
As the mediation team prepares to arrive, international observers are watching closely. Guinea-Bissau's vulnerability to external influences, including narcotics trade routes that have long undermined its institutions, adds layers of complexity to any resolution. The country's economy, heavily reliant on cashew exports and foreign aid, could suffer further if the impasse drags on, potentially isolating it from regional trade networks.
With calm restored in Bissau for now, the focus shifts to diplomatic efforts. Whether ECOWAS's measured approach will yield a swift return to democracy or prolong the standoff remains to be seen. For the people of Guinea-Bissau, weary from decades of upheaval, the coming days will determine if this latest chapter ends in stability or spirals into deeper conflict.