Guinea-Bissau’s new military ruler appointed a close ally of the ousted president as prime minister on Friday, deepening international alarm.
The army seized full control on Wednesday, one day before provisional election results were expected, sending President Umaro Sissoco Embalo fleeing to Senegal.
The motives behind the fifth coup in 45 years remain murky, casting a long shadow over the country’s fragile political landscape.
General Horta N’Tam, who will govern during a one-year transition, named Ilidio Vieira Te, Embalo’s finance minister, as prime minister.
N’Tam, also seen as loyal to Embalo, told Te the public “expects a lot,” urging cooperation between the junta and civilian leadership.
International condemnation surged, with the African Union suspending Guinea-Bissau immediately and ECOWAS excluding it from all decision-making bodies.
UN chief Antonio Guterres denounced the military takeover as an “unacceptable violation of democratic principles,” and the EU demanded a rapid constitutional restoration.
In Dakar, Senegalese President Ousmane Sonko accused the coup leaders of staging a political “scam,” echoing doubts voiced by regional analysts.
Opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa claimed he won Sunday’s election and argued Embalo orchestrated the takeover to block a transfer of power.
One political analyst said the coup offered Embalo an “ideal scenario” to position himself for future elections despite his removal.
Other researchers pointed to a fierce internal struggle for control of lucrative drug trafficking routes as a potential catalyst for the unrest.
Senior military official Denis N’Canha fuelled speculation by alleging a plot involving “drug lords” and weapons intended to undermine constitutional order.
Guinea-Bissau has long been labelled a “narco-state,” hampered by poverty, corruption and its role as a transit hub for cocaine bound for Europe.
Despite the turmoil, life in Bissau slowly resumed as borders reopened, markets revived and residents cautiously returned to work.
The country, among the world’s poorest, now joins a growing list of African states suspended from the AU after military coups.