• Army general Horta N’Tam is sworn in as transition president for one year

• Ceremony follows a military coup and arrests of top political and security figures

• IMF sees 5.5% GDP growth in 2025 despite persistent political instability

General Horta N’Tam, chief of staff of the army, was officially sworn in on November 27 as “president of the transition and head of the High Military Command for the restoration of national security and public order.” The transition period is set at one year.

“The country is facing a politically difficult and delicate moment. The challenges we must confront are immense and urpgent. We must fight with determination the narcotrafficking networks that corrupt the state, politics, and society,” the new transition leader said.

The announcement came one day after a military coup. On 26 November, soldiers declared they had taken control of the country while Bissau was still awaiting the results of the 23 November presidential election.

Military forces reportedly arrested outgoing president Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the army’s chief of staff General Mamadou Touré, and Interior Minister Botché Candé.

According to media reports, opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa said he was in a safe location. Domingos Simões Pereira, head of the Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC), was reportedly detained at an air force base.

The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) “unequivocally condemned” the coup, calling for the “immediate and unconditional” release of Mr. Embaló and the other detainees, and urging the population to remain calm.

DÉCLARATION CONJOINTE DES CHEFS DE MISSIONS ÉLECTORALES DE LA CÉDÉAO, DE L'UNION AFRICAINE ET DU FORUM OUEST-AFRICAIN DES SAGES AU SUJET DE LA SITUATION POST- ELECTORALE EN REPUBLIQUE DE GUINÉE-BISSAU. pic.twitter.com/LX3yU2SRfh

— Ecowas - Cedeao (@ecowas_cedeao) November 26, 2025

Located in West Africa, Guinea-Bissau has faced persistent political and institutional fragility since its independence in 1974. According to the World Bank, it remains one of the countries most exposed to coups and instability, with four successful takeovers and seventeen other attempts, plots, or allegations recorded.

The 2019 elections were followed by a political crisis that ended in April 2020 with ECOWAS recognition of Umaro Sissoco Embaló as president.

Economically, the country has shown resilience despite multiple challenges. The IMF projects GDP growth of 5.5% in 2025, driven by strong cashew production, domestic consumption, and private investment. However, this outlook could be constrained by international commodity shocks and political instability.

Lydie Mobio