A soldier controls the road leading to the presidential palace in Guinea-Bissau, where a coup has occurred. AFP, Yonhap News

A coup has broken out in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa.

AFP reported that military officers in Guinea-Bissau launched a coup on the 26th (local time).

Officers at the army headquarters in the capital, Bissau, seized control of the country on the eve of the announcement of the presidential election vote count. They reportedly suspended the presidential election process and closed the borders.

Major foreign media outlets reported explosions near the presidential palace and the election commission in Bissau on the same day.

Following reports of gunfire, news emerged that men in military uniforms had seized major roads leading to the presidential palace. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló (53), who was seeking re-election, was reportedly arrested in his office within the presidential palace.

The presidential election was held on the 23rd, and the election commission was scheduled to announce the vote count on the 27th.

In the presidential election, which saw 12 candidates and a 65% voter turnout, President Embaló and Fernando Dias da Costa (47), a candidate from the opposition Social Renewal Party (PRS), were both claiming victory.

Meanwhile, candidate Costa claimed that the coup was a "staged coup." He suggested that the current president's side orchestrated the operation to disrupt the vote count scheduled for the 27th, as re-election was becoming unfavorable.

The local civil society group "People's Front" also issued a statement claiming, "President Embaló and the military manipulated the coup to prevent the announcement of election results and maintain power." They further alleged that "President Embaló plans to appoint an interim president and prime minister, then hold a re-election and run again."

The opposition, including Dias, urged residents to protest against the coup. However, on the morning of the 26th, shops in the capital, Bissau, opened as usual, and public transportation operated normally.

Guinea-Bissau, a small country located between Senegal and Guinea, has experienced continuous political and social turmoil since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, with four coups and over ten attempted coups.

More recently, an attempted coup occurred at the government building in the capital, Bissau, in February 2022 and was suppressed. Coup attempts and disruptions also occurred in November 2023.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Senegal, which also covers Guinea-Bissau, issued a notice to Korean residents advising them to "refrain from going out as much as possible, stay in safe places such as your homes for the time being, and pay close attention to your personal safety." The number of Korean residents is reportedly less than 10.

By Reporter Lim Yo-hee