Bissau and Paris, 28 November 2025. In a statement issued on 26 November, Brigadier General Denis N’Canha, head of the Presidential Military Office, announced that a group of soldiers calling themselves the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order had taken total control of Guinea-Bissau. He also announced the ousting of the President of the Republic, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the suspension of the Republic’s institutions, the suspension of the ongoing elections, the closure of borders and air space, the introduction of a curfew, and the shutdown of the media. The coup was carried out on the day before the planned publication of the preliminary results of the presidential and legislative elections held on 23 November 2025. Earlier that day, Embaló called certain media outlets to inform them of his arrest and that a coup d’état was underway.
On 27 November, the armed forces declared General Horta N’Tam, Chief of Staff of the Army, interim President for a one-year transition period. The armed forces also announced the reopening of land borders and air space, and the lifting of the curfew. On the same day, the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the arrival of Umaro Sissoco Embaló in Senegal. Fernando Dias, the main opposition candidate in the presidential election, has been in hiding since 26 November, the same day that access to the Internet and certain social networks was disrupted.
The LGDH and FIDH condemn the power grab which violates the constitution of Guinea-Bissau and the country’s regional and international commitments, among them those enshrined in the African Charter, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The LGDH and FIDH call on the armed forces to return power to civilians immediately, thereby restoring the conditions necessary for the continuation of elections. Both organisations also called for full and transparent disclosure of election results and the investiture of the new President of the Republic, consistent with the will of the Bissau-Guinean people.
"We vehemently condemn the serious violations of human rights and democratic principles. We call on the members of the military in power to restore constitutional norms and order as swiftly as possible, to facilitate the resumption of elections, and to return power to civilian authorities. Respect for the rule of law, human rights, and democratic principles is sine qua non for breaking the spiral of political instability in which coups and attempted coups repeatedly plunge the country", stated Drissa Traoré, Secretary General of FIDH.
The LGDH and FIDH have expressed deep concern for the serious breaches of human rights committed during the last three days in Guinea-Bissau. Among the political personalities illegally detained are Domingos Simões Pereira, the former Prime Minister, President of the National People’s Assembly and leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), Octávio Lopes member of the PAIGC and national representative of candidate Pereira, Pier Cá, Januário Betundé, Marcos da Costa, Roberto Imbesba, Ernesto Ié, and Victor Oliveira.
According to information obtained by the LGDH, Mário Ialá, Romelo Barai, Cipriano Nanquilin, José Badó, and Quintino Inquebé, magistrates who were acting as observers during the vote count, were arbitrarily arrested. They remain secretly detained and are denied any contact with family members, friends or lawyers. These violations seriously undermine the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process.
The intimidation campaign also affects public figures and ordinary citizens. On 26 November, the home of journalist and political analyst Rui Landim was brutally raided by armed men. Similar acts of violence occurred at the home of MP Ussumane Camará. The LGDH also obtained access to disturbing videos showing young people being brutally beaten by armed individuals during peaceful demonstrations calling for the election results to be made public and for a return to constitutional norms and order. These events are evidence of an unacceptable escalation in the level of violence and in arbitrary acts of repression that have occurred since the alleged coup d’état.
"We strongly condemn these serious human rights violations and call for the immediate and unconditional release of everyone in detention. Thorough investigations must be conducted into the violations so that they can be brought to light, the perpetrators identified and punished, and to bring justice to the victims", declared Bubacar Turé, President of the LGDH.
The LGDH and FIDH call on the military authorities to guarantee respect for fundamental freedoms, to cease all acts of harassment and threats made against human rights defenders, activists, and journalists, and to ensure, without exception, that they are able to carry out their lawful human rights defence activities without interference and free of fear of reprisals. The LGDH and FIDH call for the immediate suspension of illegal measures taken to restrict freedom of the press in Guinea-Bissau.
The FIDH and the LGDH acknowledge with satisfaction the initial vigorous reactions from regional and international bodies, particularly the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). They urge international organisations and Guinea-Bissau’s partners, in particular ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), and the United Nations to step up the efforts made to have the military high command restore constitutional order and the rule of law, respect for human rights, and resume elections, in accordance with Guinea-Bissau’s regional and international commitments.