Guinea-Bissau slipped into uncertainty on Wednesday after its military announced it had taken control of the country, ordering an immediate suspension of all electoral activities and sealing national borders.
The sudden move came barely three days after citizens trooped out for legislative and presidential polls, deepening worries over the nation’s fragile political climate.
The declaration followed reports of heavy gunfire earlier in the day around the presidential palace in Bissau.
Witnesses said soldiers in uniform moved to secure the main access road leading to the palace, heightening tensions in the politically fragile West African state.
The announcement was delivered at the army headquarters in the capital, where senior officers read a formal statement affirming the takeover and detailing initial measures under the new military command.
