Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday that UN Secretary-General António Guterres “strongly condemned” the military coup in Guinea-Bissau and called for “the immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order.”
Guterres stressed that ignoring “the will of the people” is an “unacceptable violation of democratic principles,” according to a statement from his spokesperson.
“We strongly condemn the military coup and all attempts to violate the constitutional order,” he said in a statement, adding that Guterres was “deeply concerned by the unfolding events.”
Mr. Guterres called for the release of all detained officials, including election officials, opposition leaders and other political actors.
“We called on all stakeholders to exercise restraint, uphold the rule of law and resolve disputes through peaceful and inclusive dialogue and legal means,” the spokesperson said.
In a statement broadcast on state television on Wednesday, a group of military officers, calling itself the “Supreme Military Command for National Security and Restoration of Order,” announced that it had “taken over all powers of the state.”
The military suspended all media activity, halted the ongoing election process, closed all borders and imposed a nine-hour curfew starting at 9pm local time (9pm Japan time).
The heads of election observation missions called on the African Union and ECOWAS to take the necessary steps to restore constitutional order in the West African country.
The coup took place as the country awaits the official results of the presidential election, with both independent candidate Fernando Díaz’s camp and incumbent President Embaro’s camp claiming victory.