By Tunde Ajayi
Guinea-Bissau’s military has appointed General Horta N’Tam to lead the country for one year, following a takeover that included the arrest of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and a halt to election results.
Soldiers maintained a heavy presence around the presidential palace in Bissau, where gunfire had been reported the previous day.
During a ceremony at military headquarters, N’Tam, the army chief of staff, took the oath of office, stating, “I have just been sworn in to lead the High Command.”
Dozens of armed soldiers attended the event as he told reporters that the actions were necessary “to block operations that aimed to threaten our democracy.” The military had announced the day before that it had seized total control of the country and suspended the electoral process following last Sunday’s vote.
N’Tam, previously close to President Embaló, said there was “sufficient evidence to justify the operation” and called on all citizens to support the measures, describing them as “urgent and important.”
A senior officer confirmed that both the chief of staff and the interior minister had been detained. Opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira, barred from the recent presidential election, was also reportedly arrested on Wednesday.