Guinea-Bissau Foils Senior Officers' Coup Attempt Ahead November Elections

Guinea-Bissau's military and security forces have foiled an alleged coup attempt just before the start of election campaigns scheduled for November 23, 2025. Brigadier General Daba Nawalna, director of a military training centre, was identified as the mastermind behind the plot, with several senior military officers arrested in a coordinated overnight operation. The coup attempt was described as aiming to disrupt the electoral process and subvert the constitutional order amid political tensions surrounding President Umaro Sissoco Embaló's tenure, which remains contested by opposition parties despite Supreme Court rulings extending his term. The arrests come at a politically sensitive moment, with Embaló widely expected to win the upcoming presidential election following the disqualification of main opposition rivals. Guinea-Bissau has a long history of political instability and military interference, and the recent coup plot highlights the fragility of its democracy and the broader concerns of democratic regression in West Africa. Authorities have not disclosed the total number of detainees or the fate of the alleged coup plotters, but the government has emphasized maintaining peace and stability during the election period.