Guinea-Bissau’s Deposed President Embaló Arrives in Senegal After Military Coup

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Guinea-Bissau’s ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has fled to neighbouring Senegal after being released by the military officers who overthrew his government earlier this week, Senegalese authorities confirmed on Friday.

The former army general, who came to power in 2020, arrived “safe and sound” in Dakar late Thursday aboard a chartered military flight, Senegal’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

His transfer followed intense negotiations led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as tensions escalated in the coup-prone nation.

Guinea-Bissau has suffered multiple coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, with the latest upheaval marking another setback for democratic stability in the region.