Guinea-Bissau military names General Horta Inta-A interim leader 

Guinea-Bissau was thrust into deeper political turmoil on Thursday after the military announced that General Horta Inta-A had been appointed leader of a new transitional junta, just days after a highly contentious presidential election.

State broadcaster TGB reported that the general will head the country for a one-year transition period. However, the circumstances surrounding the takeover, and the actual power dynamics within the armed forces, remain murky.

Residents in the capital, Bissau, told dpa that major streets were deserted, while soldiers maintained a heavy presence around key government and strategic sites. The atmosphere, they said, reflected widespread uncertainty over who truly controls the country.

The latest development follows claims by a group of officers on Wednesday that they had assumed power to prevent what they described as an elaborate plot to manipulate the election results. They accused unnamed politicians and a prominent drug baron of attempting to rig the polls and destabilise the nation.

Guinea-Bissau, a major transit hub for cocaine smuggling between Latin America and Europe, has long been plagued by political unrest, with multiple coups and attempted coups since independence from Portugal in 1974.

Deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló reportedly told a French outlet that he had been taken into custody but insisted he had not been harmed. His main opponent, Fernando Dias, was also said to have been detained.

Both Embaló and Dias declared victory in Sunday’s election, but the official results have yet to be released – a delay that has fuelled suspicion and heightened tensions.

Embaló, who came to power in 2020 and dissolved the country’s parliament late in 2023, has frequently spoken of attempted coups against his administration, including one as recently as October.