PRES. TRUMP AWARDED INAUGURAL FIFA PEACE PRIZE AT WORLD CUP DRAW IN WASHINGTON . (PHOTOS).
Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan is reported safe but unable to leave Guinea-Bissau after the military seized power, shut the borders, and halted the country’s election process. Jonathan, who led the West African Elders Forum observer mission, is stranded alongside hundreds of foreign monitors.
The coup unfolded as results from Sunday’s polls were still being compiled. Soldiers claiming to represent the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” announced they had taken control of the state, suspended the vote, imposed a curfew, and sealed all land, air, and sea borders.
Their intervention followed duelling claims of victory by incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias. Embalo, speaking with France24, declared, “I have been deposed,” alleging he was being held at military headquarters. Opposition figure Domingos Simoes Pereira was also reportedly arrested. Coup leader Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential guard, is said to be attempting to restrict internet access.
Jonathan had been updating his observer duties earlier in the day, from visiting polling centres to paying a condolence visit to the family of former First Lady Mrs. Isolina Da Fonseca Nhamajo. While his spokesperson could not be reached, former aide Ima Niboro confirmed that Jonathan remains safe but unable to exit the country.
In a joint statement, Jonathan and other African leaders condemned the takeover, warning it endangers Guinea-Bissau’s fragile democracy. They called on the African Union and ECOWAS to step in, urged the release of detained electoral officials, and appealed for calm as efforts to restore constitutional order get underway.
Comments
Post a Comment