Reports from Guinea-Bissau say President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has been taken into custody by armed men in what many fear may be an attempted coup in the capital city, Bissau.
This incident comes just three days after the presidential election, during which the main opposition candidate was disqualified.
According to eyewitnesses, heavy gunfire was heard around 1pm local time, though details about who is behind the shooting remain unclear.
President Embaló voted in the 23 November 2025 presidential and legislative polls at Nema 1 in the Gabu region.
Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation with about 2.1 million people, was part of the Portuguese colonial empire for centuries before gaining independence.
A government official who spoke with the BBC said she could hear gunshots from her home near the presidential palace.
President Embaló and major challenger Fernando Dias have both claimed early victory in the first-round vote earlier in the week. Dias continues to challenge the election outcome.
Dias is backed by former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, who was prevented from contesting the election under the main opposition party, the PAIGC.
The PAIGC, historically linked to the country’s independence, leads the Pai Terra Ranka coalition, which brings together around ten political parties.
