GUINEA-BISSAU’S DEPOSED PRESIDENT EMBALÓ ARRIVES IN SENEGAL AFTER MILITARY COUP

Dakar, Senegal — November 28, 2025

Guinea-Bissau’s ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has arrived in neighbouring Senegal after being released by the military officers who toppled his government earlier this week, Senegalese authorities confirmed on Friday.

According to a statement from Senegal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embaló landed in Dakar late Thursday aboard a chartered military aircraft, marking his first public appearance since the coup. The ministry reported that the former president arrived “safe and sound” and is currently under the protection of Senegalese authorities.

Embaló, a former army general who assumed office in 2020, was removed from power on Tuesday following a rapid military takeover in the capital, Bissau. His release and evacuation to Senegal were reportedly facilitated through intense diplomatic negotiations led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has been working to de-escalate tensions in the politically fragile nation.
The coup represents yet another chapter in Guinea-Bissau’s turbulent political history. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has endured a cycle of coups and attempted power grabs, making it one of West Africa’s most unstable democracies. The latest upheaval raises renewed concerns about governance and security in a region already grappling with multiple political crises.

ECOWAS has yet to issue a detailed statement on Embaló’s evacuation but is expected to continue mediation efforts aimed at restoring constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau. Meanwhile, Senegalese authorities have not disclosed how long the deposed president is expected to remain in the country.