Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is among several African leaders currently stranded in Guinea-Bissau after soldiers seized control of the country’s political institutions and suspended the presidential election process.
Jonathan had travelled to Bissau as part of a joint observer mission comprising the African Union (AU), ECOWAS and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) to monitor Sunday’s presidential poll. However, tensions surged shortly after voting ended, when both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias prematurely declared victory.
Before the national electoral commission could announce official results, the military intervened, shutting down the electoral process and assuming control of key government establishments.
The sudden takeover has thrown the country into a lockdown, leaving Jonathan and other foreign observers unable to depart as uncertainty deepens.
Regional bodies have yet to issue a coordinated response as the political situation in Guinea-Bissau continues to unfold.
