Guinea-Bissau Military Coup:  Nigeria’s Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Other International Observers Cornered

… calls on AU and ECOWAS to immediately restore democratic governance.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan remains stranded in Guinea-Bissau following a military takeover that has paralyzed the West African nation. Jonathan was serving as part of an international election observation team when soldiers seized control of the government on Wednesday.

The coup disrupted the country’s presidential election process just days before voting was scheduled. Jonathan and approximately 35 other election monitors—deployed jointly by the African Union, ECOWAS, and the West African Elders Forum—found themselves trapped as the military closed all borders and airports while taking control of key government institutions.

The military intervention occurred amid a disputed electoral landscape. Both the sitting President Umaro Embaló and his leading opponent, Fernando Dias, had declared themselves victors before official results were announced by the electoral commission. The soldiers’ swift action prevented the electoral process from proceeding.

The international observer mission expressed alarm at the developments, describing the military takeover as “regrettable” and stating they were “deeply concerned” about the intervention. In a statement, the delegation noted that both candidates had recently committed to respecting the will of voters, making the subsequent coup particularly troubling.

The observers have called on the African Union and ECOWAS to take immediate action to restore constitutional governance. They have also demanded the release of all officials detained during the takeover. The delegation is expected to depart Guinea-Bissau on November 29, though uncertainty remains about whether airport operations will resume in time for their exit.