Ousted president Embalo arrives Congo after Guinea-Bissau coup

Guinea-Bissau’s ousted president Umaro Sissoco Embalo arrived in Brazzaville, the capital of Republic of Congo on Saturday, days after he was overthrown by the military.

Congolese government sources confirmed his arrival in the country on Saturday, November 29, 2025.

Meanwhile in the capital Bissau, the west African country’s leading opposition party said its headquarters had been “invaded” by a “heavily armed militia”, in the wake of the post-election coup that propelled the army to power.

The military took control of the Portuguese-speaking nation on Wednesday – a day before the provisional results of national elections were due to be announced – and Embalo initially left for neighbouring Senegal.

The true motives for the coup in Guinea-Bissau remain unclear, with speculation and conspiracy theories circulating – including that the coup was carried out with Embalo’s blessing.

Jonathan calls Guinea-Bissau incident ‘ceremonial coup’

The opposition and some experts suspect that Embalo, in power since 2020, orchestrated the military takeover to halt the electoral process.

“Embalo arrived in Brazzaville late in the morning on a private jet,” a source close to the Congolese government told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A presidency source said Embalo, who had claimed victory in the election, intended to remain in the country, which is also known as Congo-Brazzaville.

Embalo, 53, is rumoured to be close to Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, and has visited the Republic of Congo many times.

Guinea-Bissau had already undergone four coups and a host of attempted takeovers since its independence from Portugal in 1974.

Among the world’s poorest countries, it has now joined the likes of Burkina Faso, Mali, Madagascar, Niger, and Sudan on the list of nations suspended from the African Union following coups.

The Star