By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal Government has confirmed that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is safe and has left Guinea-Bissau after the military seized power during the week.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, told journalists in Abuja that Jonathan “is very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau.”
Jonathan travelled to the country as head of the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission for last Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls. The coup unfolded while he and other monitors were still assessing the political atmosphere.
In a joint statement, Jonathan, former Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, and Issifu Kamara of ECOWAS condemned the takeover. They described it as an attack on Guinea-Bissau’s democratic process and urged residents to remain calm. They also restated their commitment to supporting the country through the crisis.
Nigeria issued a separate statement on Thursday criticizing the coup as a threat to democracy and regional stability. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the development amounted to “an unconstitutional change of government” and breached ECOWAS’ Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
The situation in Guinea-Bissau escalated on Wednesday after soldiers declared they had taken “total control,” shut the borders and suspended electoral activities. Gunfire erupted near the presidential palace, and troops blocked access roads across Bissau.
General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, announced that a joint command of the armed forces had taken charge. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo later told France24, “I have been deposed.” AFP reported that he remained inside a secure building alongside senior officials.
Tensions had been rising after both Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias declared victory in Sunday’s polls ahead of provisional results. The military claimed it discovered a plot involving drug traffickers and illegal weapons intended to subvert the constitutional order.
By Thursday afternoon, the new military authorities reopened all borders, according to General Lansana Mansali. More than 6,700 personnel, including ECOWAS stabilization forces, had been deployed for the elections amid long-standing political volatility. Guinea-Bissau, one of the poorest nations in the world, has endured repeated coups since independence.
