General Sworn in as New Guinea-Bissau Leader

Was this an illegal coup to subvert voters’ will amid growing speculation of an arranged power play, or a necessary intervention to stop narcotraffickers from hijacking democracy?

Published 6 hours ago

General Sworn in as New Guinea-Bissau Leader

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Above: Guinea Bissau Army general Horta Inta-a is sworn in as the transition leader and the leader of the High Command in Bissau on November 27, 2025. Image credit: Patrick Meinhardt/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

The military takeover in Guinea-Bissau represents an illegal abortion of democracy, orchestrated by a general with deep ties to the ousted president to subvert the will of voters. General Inta-a’s longstanding loyalty to Embaló and his strategic appointment just before the coup reinforce growing speculation that the entire operation was arranged in advance to avoid electoral defeat. This premeditated power grab fits into a wider and deeply troubling pattern of six coups across West Africa since 2020.

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David Hundeyin on X

Narrative B

The military intervention prevented narcotraffickers and corrupt political actors from hijacking Guinea-Bissau’s democracy through a coordinated attempt to manipulate the electoral process. General Horta Inta-a’s one-year transition seeks to confront growing instability in a country long undermined by drug networks that corrode state institutions. Swift action was necessary to disrupt a destabilization plot involving well-known drug lords and foreign actors whose influence had become increasingly dangerous.

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