‘Nigeria reacts to Coup In Guinea-Bissau, makes strong demand

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The government of Nigeria has denounced the coup in Guinea-Bissau and called for the return of democracy to the West African nation.

The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its dismay at the event and called the military takeover of Guinea-Bissau “unfortunate” in a statement released on Thursday morning.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, in the strongest possible terms, condemns this act of military insurrection which undermines the democratic progress, constitutional order, and stability not only of Guinea-Bissau but of the entire West African sub-region,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, wrote.

“This coup d’état represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which explicitly rejects any ascension to power through unconstitutional means.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Guinea-Bissau and call for the immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order, the safety and security of all those detained and the full respect for the sanctity of democratic institutions in Guinea-Bissau.”

Nigeria requested all participants to “exercise utmost restraint, prioritize peaceful dialogue, and respect the will of the people of Guinea-Bissau” in the just-conducted election in Guinea-Bissau.

“We warn that those behind this act will be held accountable for their actions, which threaten to plunge the nation into chaos and reverse the hard-won gains of its democracy,” the statement read.

It promised to “work closely with our regional and international partners to take all necessary measures to ensure the swift return to normalcy and constitutional governance in Guinea-Bissau”.

Three days after the parliamentary and presidential elections in the impoverished West African nation, military officials in Guinea-Bissau took “total control” of the nation on Wednesday, halting the democratic process and barring its borders.

The chief of the presidential military office, General Denis N’Canha, informed reporters early in the afternoon that a command “composed of all branches of the armed forces, was taking over the leadership of the country until further notice.”

Umaro Embalo, the current president who was favored to win the poll on Sunday, was taken into custody.

The coup has also been denounced by election observers from the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

“We deplore this blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process and the gains that have been achieved thus far,” the observers wrote in the statement on Wednesday.

“We request the African Union and the ECOWAS to take the necessary steps to restore constitutional order.”

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