Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Friday condemned the military takeover in neighbouring Guinea Bissau, calling the move a sham and insisting that the suspended elections must resume. His remarks added fresh pressure on the junta, which has already begun appointing allies to key posts after ousting the civilian leadership.
The confrontation has deepened regional concern, as West Africa faces yet another power grab at a time when several states are already under military rule.
Speaking before lawmakers in Dakar, Sonko rejected the justification offered by the Guinea Bissau military. He insisted that the vote held last weekend must be concluded and the results released.
“What happened in Guinea Bissau was a sham. We want the electoral process to continue,” he said. “The commission must be able to declare the winner.”
His comments came as the junta moved quickly to reinforce its control. On Friday, it named Illidio Vieira Te as both prime minister and finance minister. Te previously directed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo’s campaign and has served as finance minister in the past.
Military officers installed Major General Horta Inta a as transitional president on Thursday, one day after removing the elected authorities before the final results from the presidential and legislative races could be announced. The contest had pitted Embalo against Fernando Dias, a younger challenger who said he was on course for victory.
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In his first public appearance, Inta a claimed the coup was necessary to stop an alleged plot by “narcotraffickers” to capture the state. He promised a one year transition beginning immediately.
Dias’s coalition rejected the explanation, describing the coup as “a desperate attempt” by Embalo and his supporters to halt the proclamation of results showing the incumbent had lost.
Several figures who have emerged since the takeover appear closely linked to Embalo.
Diniz N Tchama, who first announced that soldiers were assuming authority, previously served as a military aide to the president.
Inta a and Tomas Djassi, the newly named armed forces chief of staff, also have longstanding ties to Embalo, according to Vincent Foucher of France’s National Centre for Scientific Research.
Senegal’s foreign ministry confirmed that Embalo arrived in Dakar on Thursday aboard a special flight arranged after talks involving ECOWAS. The regional body has faced repeated tests in recent years, with coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and has urged a return to constitutional order in each case.
Guinea Bissau, a coastal state of two million people, has endured cycles of instability for decades. The country is often cited by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as a major transit point for cocaine shipments routed from Latin America to Europe, a factor that has repeatedly fuelled political tension.