By Charles Pemu 
A day following the military coup that deposed the elected administration of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, General Horta Nta Na Man was officially sworn in as the transitional president of Guinea-Bissau on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
General Nta Na Man, who served as the nation’s Army Chief of Staff until the unconstitutional seizure of power, was inaugurated by the military officers responsible for the takeover. These officers have organized themselves as the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order.”
The army command announced that General Nta Na Man will lead the country for an initial one-year transitional period. The action follows the deposition and arrest of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and Interior Minister Botche Candé on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
The coup leaders immediately suspended the democratic process, which was awaiting the announcement of official results from the presidential election held days earlier on November 23. The military also imposed an overnight curfew and ordered the closure of all land, air, and sea borders.
This swift military takeover has drawn immediate and widespread condemnation from the international community. Regional and continental bodies, including the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have forcefully denounced the unconstitutional change of government and demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order.
The installation of a military figure as head of state underscores the continued political volatility of Guinea-Bissau, a nation historically prone to military coups since achieving independence from Portugal in 1974.