How did the November 2025 military coup interrupt Guinea-Bissau’s election process?

The military coup on November 26, 2025, significantly disrupted Guinea-Bissau’s electoral process following the November 23 polls. A military spokesperson justified the seizure of power by claiming they had uncovered a plot to manipulate election results, leading them to suspend the electoral process and state institutions.123

The interruption became permanent in early December when the electoral commission reported that it was impossible to release the results. The commission revealed that on the day of the coup, unknown armed men had broken into its offices and seized or destroyed nearly all of the election tally sheets and electronic devices essential for the vote-tallying process.12

While the military installed a transitional administration, the legitimacy of these actions was widely questioned. Critics, including opposition figures, alleged that the coup was staged by the incumbent, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, to avoid an apparent electoral defeat. International bodies, including the AU and ECOWAS, condemned the coup and demanded the completion of the vote-tabulation process, which was rendered impossible by the destruction of the election data.123