Guinea-Bissau's military takeover: Was the coup real or a 'sham'?

A military takeover in Guinea-Bissau has raised eyebrows, with many analysts questioning whether the coup was real or a "sham". The West African country has experienced multiple coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. However, this latest development has sparked skepticism due to certain circumstances.

Just three days before the military takeover, Bissau-Guineans voted in a presidential election, with Umaro Sissoco Embaló running for a second term against Fernando Dias da Costa. The opposition, civil society organizations, and politicians from fellow West African nations have expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the military's announcement.

Embaló was arrested by men in uniform in the presidential palace before being released to Senegal on a Senegalese military flight. This has led some to question whether he orchestrated the coup himself or if it was actually carried out by the military. The General who now leads Guinea-Bissau, Gen Horta N'Tam, has been accused of being close to Embaló and having the support of a well-known drug baron in order to destabilize the country.

Critics have long accused Embaló of fabricating coup attempts to crack down on dissent. He claims he has survived three attempted coups overall. Guinea-Bissau is known as a transit point for cocaine coming from Latin America to Europe, earning it the title of "narco-state".

As Guinea-Bissau struggles with the aftermath of its latest military takeover, many are left wondering if it was actually a coup or just a carefully choreographed power play by Embaló.

I don’t usually comment but... I mean, this whole thing in Guinea-Bissau is super confusing . I've been following the news and it's like they're saying one thing but doing another. If Umaro Sissoco Embaló was really trying to stage a coup, why did he get released into Senegal if he was just going to be arrested again? And what's up with Gen Horta N'Tam being close to that drug baron? It feels like they're all playing some game and we don't know the rules yet . I'm also worried about the country's stability – if they can't even have a legit election, how are they going to fix the corruption and narco problems? This whole situation just makes me go "huh?"

I'm totally freaked out about this Guinea-Bissau situation . Like, how can we even trust what's going on in that country? The whole thing with Umaro Sissoco Embaló being arrested and then released to Senegal is so sketchy . And now there are rumors that he orchestrated the whole takeover himself? That's just wild .

I feel like Guinea-Bissau has been through too many coups already, and it's like they're stuck in some kind of never-ending cycle . It's heartbreaking for the people living there who are suffering from the instability and violence . We need to be keeping a close eye on this situation and making sure that whatever happens next is going to benefit the people of Guinea-Bissau, not just power-hungry individuals .

Let's all send some positive vibes to the people of Guinea-Bissau right now .

I'm telling you, this whole thing is shakier than a newborn giraffe . The fact that Embaló was released to Senegal on a military flight just days after the supposed takeover raises so many red flags . And don't even get me started on Gen Horta N'Tam's alleged connections to a drug baron - that's some suspicious stuff . I'm not saying it was definitely a sham coup, but Embaló's history of fabricating attempts is sketchy at best . You gotta consider the fact that Guinea-Bissau has been through this before, and the opposition is questioning the legitimacy of everything . Maybe we should wait for more concrete evidence before jumping to conclusions?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing . It's like, one minute Umaro Sissoco Embaló is running for re-election and the next he's being arrested in his own palace... and now there are rumors that he orchestrated the whole thing? I don't know what to believe anymore . And what's with all these allegations against him of fabricating coup attempts just to silence dissent? It seems like a pretty suspicious move if you ask me .

I've been following Guinea-Bissau's politics for years, and it's clear that this country is plagued by instability and corruption... but can we really blame Embaló for trying to maintain control when the West African nation has such a history of coups? It's like a bad habit or something . Anyway, I'm definitely keeping an eye on how this plays out .

I'm not buying into this whole thing either. Three days ago they have an election and then suddenly it's all about a military coup? Sounds fishy to me. And what really got my attention is that Embaló was released to Senegal on a military flight, like no big deal or something. What if he orchestrated the whole thing himself and then used his own resources to create a fake coup? I mean, we've seen this kind of thing before in Guinea-Bissau... it's a transit point for cocaine, remember? You can't just write off the involvement of a well-known drug baron. This whole thing reeks of politics and corruption.

I'm telling you, this whole thing smells like a setup . People saying it's a sham, but I think it's more complicated than that. This guy Embaló has been in office for years and everyone thinks he's got it all planned out, but what if he's just being smart? He's been accused of fabricating coup attempts before, maybe this is one of those times. And let's not forget the fact that Guinea-Bissau is basically a narco-state, you'd think that would be enough to shake things up, but nope .

And have you seen Gen Horta N'Tam's background? That guy's got some serious connections with the wrong crowd. I'm not saying he's directly involved or anything, but come on, a drug baron's support? That's just a recipe for disaster. And what about those Senegalese military flights that Embaló was on? Was he being "escorted" or what? ️ It's all just too suspicious if you ask me.

Maybe I'm just not seeing the big picture, but I think there's more to this than meets the eye . Maybe it's a power play by Embaló, maybe it's a full-on coup... who knows? All I know is that Guinea-Bissau's got some 'splainin' to do

Man... think about this situation in Guinea-Bissau... It's like, what even is real? In all seriousness though, have you ever been in a situation where people doubted your intentions? Maybe you were trying to do something for the greater good, but others saw it as a power play. That's kinda what's going on here with Embaló and his alleged coup.

It makes me think about how hard it is to read other people's motivations. Are they really that transparent or are we just projecting our own fears onto them? We need to be careful not to jump to conclusions or assume the worst, even if there's a history of manipulation going on. Can we separate fact from fiction and figure out what's really going on in this situation?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-59955111 I mean, what's going on in Guinea-Bissau right now is crazy! They've had like 3 coups since they got independence and it's hard to keep track of who's behind what...

I'm thinking about how Embaló was just released from Senegal after being arrested by the military and then goes on to orchestrate a coup... that doesn't sound right at all. It makes me wonder if he's been playing both sides all along, using the military to get rid of his opponents while pretending to be their leader

And can we talk about how Guinea-Bissau is basically a narco-state? Like, they're getting all this cocaine from Latin America and selling it to Europe... it's like, what's going on with that?

omg this is getting intense i mean i'm all for stability and security but come on a 3-day presidential election and now the president is 'arrested' only to be released and supposedly orchestrate a coup? sounds like something out of a bad thriller movie. and what's with embaló being accused of fabricating coups? seems like he's got some serious enemies in the opposition anyway, i'm keeping an eye on this one - gotta know if it was really just a power play or something more sinister

I'm really confused about what's going on in Guinea-Bissau rn I mean, they had this presidential election like 3 days ago and then suddenly the military is all like "we're taking over" And now people are doubting whether it was even real? Like, if Embaló was behind it himself or what... It's just so many twists and turns... I don't get why he would do something like that. Doesn't he have a job to do as president or something? And what about this general, Horta N'Tam? Is he supposed to be some kind of hero or something? Anyway, it's just so messed up...

I'm low-key suspecting that this whole thing is a setup . Like, how convenient for Embaló to have his "arrest" and then get released to Senegal on a military flight? That sounds like the perfect cover story . And don't even get me started on Gen N'Tam being close to a known drug baron... that's some serious fishy business . I mean, come on, Guinea-Bissau is basically a narco-state already, what's one more power play in the mix? It's all about who's behind the scenes controlling things and who's just along for the ride . The whole thing reeks of politics as usual .

Honestly, I'm getting so tired of these military coups in West Africa . It's like they're a never-ending cycle. Guinea-Bissau is like the poster child for this kind of thing - always experiencing some kind of takeover or instability. Can't these countries just have a peaceful election and stick to it, you know?

And what's with all the drama surrounding Embaló and his alleged "coup attempts"? It's like he's playing a game of cat and mouse, and we're all just along for the ride. I mean, if he really did orchestrate something, why would he do it in broad daylight?

I'm also worried about Gen Horta N'Tam - if he was working with a drug baron to destabilize the country, that's some serious corruption right there . And what about all the poor civilians caught up in the middle of this mess? They're the ones who really suffer when these coups happen.

Ugh, I don't even know what to say about Guinea-Bissau at this point . It's just a big mess, and I'm not sure how they're going to get out of it anytime soon .

come on forum, can't we just report news without all the drama? I mean, seriously, how many coups does Guinea-Bissau need before everyone gets on the same page? It's like they're stuck in some kind of endless loop. And now this latest "takeover" is having people question if it was even real... and let's not forget Embaló's history of, ahem, "orchestrating" situations to stifle dissent. But what really got me is the Senegalese military flight thingy... who does he think we are? and can we please stop giving these people airtime? They're like the Guinea-Bissau equivalent of reality TV - you don't want to watch, but you can't look away.

man I'm getting major Breaking Bad vibes from this situation with that whole cocaine thing going on and all... Guinea-Bissau is like the ultimate narco-state and now it's like, did Umaro Sissoco Embaló orchestrate the coup himself or just playing a game of cat and mouse with the military? it's like he's got the whole country in his hand like a puppeteer controlling his strings

and what's up with Gen Horta N'Tam being close to Embaló and having that drug baron's backing? it's like they're all in on some kind of illicit deal, but who knows for real? the thing is, Guinea-Bissau has been through this before, so it's hard to say what's real and what's not. it's all just a big game of power and politics at this point

I'm low-key shocked about this whole thing in Guinea-Bissau . Like, how can one guy orchestrate a military takeover and then claim he's being taken down when it seems like the whole thing was planned out? It's like he's playing a game of cat and mouse with the military . And what's up with him being accused of fabricating coup attempts before? That sounds super fishy . I guess you could say he's got some screws loose, but it's hard to say for sure when everyone involved seems to be hiding something .

The situation in Guinea-Bissau is super confusing right now... I mean, on one hand you've got the military saying they've taken over and Gen N'Tam as their leader, but then there's Umaro Sissoco Embaló claiming he orchestrated it all himself . It's like, did he orchestrate a coup or was it just a clever move to get rid of his opponents?

And let's not forget about the whole thing with him being released by Senegal and then going on a military flight... that's some pretty sketchy stuff . I'm also getting worried about Gen N'Tam's connections, especially with this alleged drug baron .

I think what's really bothering me is how many times Embaló has been accused of trying to suppress dissent by staging fake coups. It's hard not to wonder if this whole thing was just another move in his playbook .

At the end of the day, I don't know who to believe anymore . One thing's for sure though - Guinea-Bissau is a country that's been through a lot, and it needs some serious help and stability ASAP .

I'm telling you something, this whole thing smells fishy . Like, think about it, right? They voted for Embaló, and three days later, he's the one behind the coup? No way. It's all just a ruse to get rid of some opposition and consolidate power. And don't even get me started on Gen N'Tam and his connections to that drug baron. I'm sure it's all just a web of deceit trying to cover up the real agenda here... maybe Embaló is using this as an excuse to seize control?

I'm thinking that this whole thing is super suspicious . Like, why did Embaló get arrested right before the election and then released to Senegal? That's some shady stuff . And what's up with Gen N'Tam being buddies with a drug baron? It sounds like Guinea-Bissau is just a hot mess . I'm not buying that it was just a "sham" coup, Embaló knows how to play the game too well .

I don't trust either side here. The military needs to come clean about what's really going on in this country . We can't keep guessing who's behind all these shenanigans . And let's be real, Guinea-Bissau has a reputation for being a narco-state... is it any wonder there are so many shady players involved?

Guinea-Bissau needs some serious help to clean up its act . We should be supporting the country in finding a peaceful solution, not speculating about who's behind all this drama . Someone needs to shine a light on what's really happening here

idk what's going on in that country rn they're always having coups and nobody knows what's real anymore like who orchestrated this one? was it embaló himself or did the military do it for him? gen horta n'tam has some shady connections tho, a drug baron no less...guinea-bissau's like a narco-state so i wouldn't put it past them at all what's up with embaló always trying to crack down on dissent? sounds like he's just creating more drama for himself anyway, hopefully they get to the bottom of this and stabilise the country again