Transition by force, no elections. Is there a “hand of Portugal” in the chaos in Guinea-Bissau?

Domingos Simões Pereira has already been released. President “safe and sound” in Senegal. Election results were to be known today. Guineans demand “immediate” intervention from the CPLP. Is what is happening in Guinea-Bissau a “false coup”?

After the military announced that it had taken over Guinea-Bissau, anticipating the release of the results of the general elections on November 23, the country is preparing to enter a transition periodwhich began this Thursday and will last a maximum of one year, announced the president of the Military Transition.

This is after a day with a mandatory night curfew, closed borders and airspace, prohibited demonstrations and political opponents detained or in hiding.

It is not yet clear to the world, but Guinea-Bissau is experiencing a new coup d’état — staged or not, that remains to be seen.

Many believe that the military only took power to prevent the publication of results and the change of regime: it will be, for them, a “false hit.”

The President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, deposed by the military coup, arrived in Senegal aboard a plane chartered by this country. The Portuguese head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, stated that he contacted him.

Marcelo revealed that Sissoco Embaló told him he was “good health and that he was in a situation that he considered on his part as a situation that did not justify, for now, any type of comment”.

“I informed the Government that the reaction had been a grateful, positive and friendly reaction”, added the Portuguese head of state.

“It is an internal issue in that country, but, naturally, it justifies the concern of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP)”, which called “a meeting to address this matter”, Marcelo also said.

“So far, no news has reached us of problems involving the Portuguese”, he added.

The CPLP condemned “any seizure of power by force” and the “arbitrary and unjustified detention of political and institutional agents” and spoke out perplexed as it took place after a peaceful electoral process, expressing total solidarity with the Guinean people.

Around a hundred Guineans gathered in front of the CPLP headquarters yesterday and demanded “a immediate and decisive intervention of the CPLP on the following points: conclusion of the ongoing electoral process, unconditional and immediate release of detained political leaders, full restoration of the constitutional order and creation of conditions for the inauguration of the new legitimate President”.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also demanded from the military in power the restoration of constitutional order and the publication of the results of Sunday’s elections “without delay”, rejecting any measure for the “illegal abortion of the democratic process and the subversion of the will of the people”.

O general Before Inta-A said on television that “It wasn’t an easy option” the action that resulted in the Guinean Armed Forces taking power of the State. This is because the military “has always distinguished itself by disciplined conduct, in accordance with the constitutional principles that guide the Armed Forces”, he said, after being invested by the Military High Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order as president of the Military Transition.

PAICG leader was uncontactable and without medication

Domingos Simões Pereira was already released this morning, but the candidate who claims victory in the Guinea-Bissau elections, Fernando Dias, said late yesterday afternoon that the PAIGC leader, detained at the second police station in Bissau, “I wasn’t well”, uncontactable and without access to medication.

Speaking by phone from a place where he said he was safe after having managed to escape armed police who, he said, invaded the campaign headquarters on Wednesday, Fernando Dias said he did not know “what is actually happening” with Simões Pereira, the main opponent of the deposed President, Umaro Sissoco Embalóand who was his supporter after seeing his candidacy excluded by the Supreme Court.

As reported to Lusa, when the campaign headquarters was invaded on Wednesday, the day the military took power – by armed police, shortly after having met with international observers, in the “pull-pull” in which they were helped by elements of the youth, they managed to escape through a back door.

“We were together with Domingos Simões Pereira and, suddenly, (…) we went in different directions (…) and he ended up at the Air Base, thinking that there would be greater security there (…). But Embaló’s uncle, who is a commander, [na base] (…) I found out and they caught Domingos and took him to the second police station”reported.

“Right now, Domingos is not doing well in the second squad because you are not having access to family members, visitors and are having problems taking medication three times a day and we don’t know what is actually happening”, he said, stating that his phone was also taken away.

Stressing that the leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC, which led the fight for the country’s independence) “is not part of this problem”, as he was not a candidate, Fernando Dias said that he has sought to inform the international community “about the abuse of power that is taking place”.

According to Fernando Dias, on orders from Sissoco Embaló, security was withdrawn from candidates and political leaders.

“We have neither State security nor ECOWAS security [Comunidade Económica dos Estados da África Ocidental]which is in the country. We are with private security, who are our party members (…), that is why we chose the right place where I am at the moment”, he declared.

“Hidden hand”. Costa and Marcelo’s visits

The Guinean researcher Odete Semedo told Lusa that there was “a hidden hand” of Portugal that has helped President Umaro Sissoco Embalógiving an example of that to Guinea-Bissau by the then Prime Minister António Costa and the President of the Republic.

“There is a hidden hand that comes out of Portugal and helps Umaro Sissoco Embalo”, reported to Lusa the poet, short story writer, university professor and politician, who is taking part in the 2nd International Literary Festival of Paraíba (FliParaíba), which runs until Saturday in the Brazilian city of João Pessoa.

“When Sissoco was committing the greatest atrocities in history, Marcelo [Rebelo de Sousa] went there, António Costa went therethey went to whitewash what he was doing”, he said.

The former Minister of Education and Health of Guinea-Bissau was referring to the trip in November 2023 by António Costa and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to participate in the official celebration of Guinea-Bissau’s 50 years of independence.

“It is a great joy to be here in Guinea-Bissau at this historic moment and Portugal is coming in force with the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic”, declared, at the time, the head of State, who had dinner alongside the Guinean President, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, that day.

Guinea-Bissau was the first Portuguese colony in Africa to become independent. Independence was proclaimed unilaterally on September 24, 1973, after a decade of armed struggle. The United Nations immediately recognized the independence of Guinea-Bissau, and Portugal only a year later, in September 1974, after the 25th of April.

“Portugal made a big mistake, really made a big mistake”criticized Guinean researcher Odete Semedo.

“These are the policies of international cooperation, they have their two-way streets and sometimes give them a pat on the back, a pat on the back, a tug on the ear and they walk away”, he summarized.