Senegal’s Prime Minister Denounces Guinea-Bissau Power Shift as “Fabrication,” Alleges Power Grab
DAKAR, Senegal – Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has publicly dismissed the recent military intervention in neighboring Guinea-Bissau as a “fabrication,” levelling serious accusations that President Umaro Sissoco Embalo is using the armed forces to cling to power after an electoral setback.
The political crisis erupted on Thursday when the Guinea-Bissau military installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as a transitional president, effectively removing civilian authorities. This move came before the official results from last weekend’s presidential and legislative elections could be announced.
In a fiery address during a parliamentary session, Prime Minister Sonko rejected the military’s narrative of a necessary intervention. “What happened in Guinea-Bissau was a sham,” Sonko stated, directly challenging the legitimacy of the power shift. “We want the electoral process to continue. The [electoral] commission must be allowed to declare the winner.”
Sonko’s accusations point to a calculated power grab by President Embalo, who reportedly lost the first round of the elections. According to the reports cited by the Senegalese leader, Embalo ordered security forces to detain opposition leaders and sow chaos to create a pretext for declaring a state of emergency, thereby interrupting the democratic process.
In a dramatic turn of events, President Embalo has since arrived in Senegal after being released by the military forces that now control the country. His presence in a neighboring capital has intensified regional scrutiny of the situation.
The unfolding crisis has raised significant concerns about a fresh wave of instability in West Africa, a region recently plagued by a series of coups. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is reported to be closely monitoring the developments, facing renewed pressure to uphold democratic norms within its member states. The international community is now watching to see if diplomatic efforts can restore the constitutional order and allow the will of the Guinean-Bissau people, as expressed at the ballot box, to prevail.
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