The African Union has halted Guinea-Bissau’s participation in all its activities, reacting swiftly to the military overthrow of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló earlier in the week. AU Commission chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf confirmed the suspension on Friday, describing it as an immediate step in response to the abrupt rupture of constitutional order.
The coup unfolded on Wednesday, hours before provisional election results were expected. In its aftermath, the junta installed former army chief General Horta N’Tam as interim leader for a one-year transition. Embaló, briefly detained during the takeover, left for Senegal on Thursday.
Opposition candidate Fernando Dias — who insists he won the vote — told AFP he is in hiding but remains within Guinea-Bissau. The power grab has drawn condemnation from across the international community. UN Secretary-General António Guterres decried the episode as a blatant assault on democratic norms, while ECOWAS moved to suspend Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making organs.
Guinea-Bissau, wedged between Senegal and Guinea, has a long and troubled political history. Since independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has weathered repeated coups, disputed elections and chronic instability. Its strategic location has also turned it into a major corridor for cocaine smuggled from Latin America to Europe, deepening governance challenges.
The AU’s decision places Guinea-Bissau alongside a growing list of member states cut off for similar reasons in recent years, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Sudan and Madagascar. Gabon, suspended after the ouster of President Ali Bongo, had its penalties lifted in April.
With the latest upheaval in Bissau, Africa has now witnessed ten coups in five years.
Mali: President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was toppled in 2020 by army officers, followed by another takeover in 2021 that elevated Colonel Assimi Goïta. Elections repeatedly postponed have now been sidelined entirely as security deteriorates.
Guinea: Lieutenant-Colonel Mamady Doumbouya removed President Alpha Condé in 2021. Doumbouya is now a presidential candidate for December 2025 elections meant to restore civilian rule.
Sudan: A 2021 military power grab by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan collapsed a fragile civilian-military partnership. A devastating war between Burhan’s forces and the Rapid Support Forces erupted in 2023, with catastrophic humanitarian consequences.
Burkina Faso: Two coups in 2022 pushed Captain Ibrahim Traoré into power. Promised elections never materialised, and the junta extended his rule for another five years in 2024.
Niger: President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in 2023 by his own presidential guard. The military government has since extended its transition by at least five years amid persistent jihadist threats.
Gabon: The military ended more than half a century of Bongo family rule in 2023. General Brice Oligui Nguema later won the presidency in 2025 under a revised constitution.
Madagascar: Weeks of youth-led protests culminated in the military removing President Andry Rajoelina in October 2025. Colonel Michael Randrianirina has taken office, promising elections within two years.
