Military takes over Guinea-Bissau after election violence

Military officers in Guinea-Bissau announced on Wednesday they were taking “total control” of the country.

The military also announced the suspension of the electoral process and the closure of borders.

The latest development comes three days after the West African nation’s legislative and presidential elections.

Military personnel made the announcement by reading a statement at army headquarters in the capital, Bissau.

Earlier in the day, gunfire was heard near the coup-prone country’s presidential palace as men in military uniform took over the main road leading to the building.

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As shots rang out, people and vehicles fled from the area.

Official provisional election results are expected on Thursday in Guinea-Bissau, which has experienced four coups since independence, as well as multiple attempted coups.

Both the current president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, and opposition candidate Fernando Dias have declared victory in the election.

Guinea-Bissau is among the world’s poorest countries and is also a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a trade facilitated by the country’s long history of political instability.

The Star