Guinea-Bissau general sworn in as transitional president after coup

General Horta Inta-A has been sworn in as the transitional president of Guinea-Bissau, one day after army officers announced they had deposed the country’s president, staging the West African nation’s latest military coup.

“I have just been sworn in to lead the high command,” Inta-A declared, after taking the oath of office in a ceremony at the military’s headquarters on Thursday, AFP journalists observed.

Having served until now as the chief of staff of the country’s army, Inta-A is considered to have been close in recent years with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who was deposed on Wednesday.

He said evidence had been “sufficient to justify the operation”, adding that “necessary measures are urgent and important and require everyone’s participation”.

The African Union (AU) Commission chairperson on Thursday condemned the military coup and called for the immediate and unconditional release of Embalo and all detained officials, the AU said in a statement.

Military officers, referring to themselves as “the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order”, said in a televised statement on Wednesday that they had ousted Embalo, in the latest episode of turmoil in the coup-prone country.

It came one day before provisional results had been expected to be announced in the race between Embalo and Fernando Dias, a 47-year-old political newcomer who had emerged as Embalo’s top challenger to run the West African state, which is a hub for cocaine trafficking.

On Thursday, the capital, Bissau, was mostly quiet, with soldiers on the streets and many residents staying indoors even after the overnight curfew lifted.

Businesses and banks were closed.

On Wednesday, a day after two leading candidates in a tightly contested presidential election each declared victory, a group of military officers claimed “total control” of the country.

The takeover announcement on Wednesday came shortly after sustained gunfire was heard near the election commission’s headquarters, the presidential palace and the Ministry of the Interior in the capital.

“I have been deposed,” Embalo later told French broadcaster France24 in a phone call on Wednesday, adding that he was “currently at the general staff headquarters”. Embalo’s whereabouts remained unknown Thursday.

Reporting from neighbouring Senegal, Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque said the announcement of Inta-A as the new leader had thrown the political process “into question”.

“It seems that an election will take place, but at least not in the year to come,” he added.

“But what was interesting, when he was sworn into office, he was surrounded by the top brass of the military. He seems to be surrounded and has the legitimacy of the military force, and that’s quite an important force inside the country, where there’s been dozens of coups before.”