Guinea-Bissau’s armed forces have sworn in Major-General Horta Inta-a as transitional president, a day after the military toppled the country’s civilian leadership before results from last weekend’s elections could be announced. The ousted president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, was flown to Senegal following diplomatic intervention by the West African regional bloc, according to a statement released by Senegal’s foreign ministry.

The takeover marks the ninth coup in West and Central Africa within five years, deepening concerns about democratic stability across the region. Guinea-Bissau, long plagued by political turbulence and known as a major cocaine trafficking corridor, now faces yet another uncertain transition. In a televised address, the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” said it acted in response to an alleged destabilisation plot involving politicians and drug traffickers, though no further details were provided.

Making his first appearance as leader, Inta-a declared that the coup was necessary to prevent narcotraffickers from “capturing Guinean democracy.” He announced that the military-led transition would last one year, beginning immediately. As the nation adjusts to yet another abrupt political shift, what direction will this new interim leadership steer Guinea-Bissau toward? Visit www.jocomms.com for more news