Former President Goodluck Jonathan remains stranded in Guinea Bissau after a sudden military takeover disrupted political activities and halted international movement in the West African nation.
Jonathan, who was in the country as part of a team of foreign observers for the general elections, has been unable to exit Bissau alongside hundreds of other international delegates.
The election had been conducted, but official results were still pending when the military stepped in.
Reports indicate that several observers and diplomats who rushed to the airport shortly after news of the coup filtered in were stopped as the country’s borders were immediately shut.
A day after the two leading candidates – President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Fernando Dias – both declared victory, a group of military officers have taken “total control” of the country.
Addressing themselves as the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order”, they suspended the electoral process “until further notice”.
The officers also closed all land, air and sea borders and imposed an overnight curfew.
The situation has raised concerns among regional bodies and Nigeria’s diplomatic community, as efforts are ongoing to establish communication with trapped observers and assess the evolving political landscape in Bissau.