Keypoints:
- Sonko calls Guinea-Bissau coup a ‘sham’
- Junta halts election results, installs military leader
- ECOWAS suspends Guinea-Bissau and demands reversal
SENEGAL’S Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has sharply criticised the military takeover in neighbouring Guinea-Bissau, describing the coup as a ‘sham’ and calling for the suspended electoral process to be reinstated. His comments came as regional leaders reacted with alarm to a crisis that has once again thrust the small West African state into political turmoil.
Sonko told lawmakers in Dakar that the move by Guinea-Bissau’s military to halt vote counting and install its own transitional leadership had no legitimacy. ‘What happened in Guinea-Bissau was a sham. We want the electoral process to continue,’ he said, urging that the national electoral commission be allowed to finish tallying the disrupted presidential and legislative results.
Election halted as military steps in
The takeover unfolded just as provisional results were expected from a tense national vote that both the incumbent president and the opposition candidate had prematurely claimed to have won. Instead of allowing the results to be released, soldiers moved on key institutions, suspended the count, and installed General Horta Inta-a as transitional leader.
The junta justified its actions by alleging that ‘narcotraffickers’ were preparing to seize control of the government through the ballot box. Such claims have circulated in Guinea-Bissau for years, where political elites, the military, and organised crime have long been entangled in an unstable web of alliances and rivalries. But critics argue that these allegations are frequently weaponised by political factions to justify power struggles.
The opposition in Bissau described the coup as a politically choreographed intervention carried out to prevent an unfavourable electoral outcome. Civil society groups also questioned the junta’s motives, suggesting that the military acted in concert with the outgoing president’s allies to preserve influence.
Regional bloc moves swiftly
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) responded within hours. The bloc suspended Guinea-Bissau’s membership, condemned the power grab, and announced that it would dispatch a high-level mediation mission to Bissau. For years ECOWAS has attempted to curb the resurgence of coups across the region, but its influence has been steadily challenged following recent military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
In its statement, ECOWAS demanded an immediate return to constitutional order and urged the transitional authorities to release full election results. Other African institutions, including the African Union, issued similar calls, warning that the instability threatened wider regional security.
Guinea-Bissau’s long history of coups
Guinea-Bissau has experienced repeated coups, attempted coups, and military mutinies since independence in 1974. Weak political institutions, fragmented military factions, economic stagnation and the influence of international drug trafficking have all contributed to chronic instability. Although elections have been held regularly, governments have struggled to complete their mandates without being disrupted by political violence or military interference.
The latest coup fits a familiar pattern, analysts say: disputed election results, allegations of criminal infiltration, and a military leadership positioning itself as the guardian of national integrity. However, the junta’s attempt to justify its intervention with references to narcotics trafficking has been met with scepticism both domestically and among international observers.
Senegal positions itself as regional stabiliser
Sonko’s forceful remarks signal Dakar’s rising concern about instability along its southern border. Senegal has historically been affected by turbulence in Guinea-Bissau, with smuggling networks, refugee flows and security risks spilling across borders whenever crises erupt.
Analysts also note that Sonko’s position reflects Senegal’s ambition to play a more assertive diplomatic role in West Africa following recent political shifts. With several ECOWAS heavyweights now under military rule, Dakar has positioned itself — alongside Ghana — as a remaining pillar of constitutional governance within the bloc.
Uncertain road ahead
The junta has promised a one-year transition before fresh elections, though details remain unclear. Opposition leaders argue that anything short of an immediate return to the halted results will only deepen the crisis. Meanwhile, ECOWAS faces growing pressure to demonstrate that it can still influence regional political trends despite recent setbacks.
For now, the critical question is whether the military will release the election results and allow the electorate’s verdict to stand — or consolidate its grip in defiance of regional and international appeals.
