Guinea-Bissau has become another African nation to fall under military rule. The military coup was induced when disputes over the presidential election were escalating. The military asserted the coup was launched to prevent a deterioration of security. Election results were not announced. The error of opposition candidate Fernando Dias and President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was to claim victory before all votes were tabulated. Besides internal political discord, Guinea-Bissau struggles with foreign interference. Guinea-Bissau is a transport area for illicit drug trafficking. Drugs coming from South America are smuggled into the country and make their way to Europe. A series of coups continue to occur across West Africa and Central Africa. Corrupt governments and failures of liberal democracy have pushed militaries to act. All the coups are not revolutionary acts or objections to neo-colonial imperialism. While the coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Gabon were welcomed Guinea-Bissau is a different case. A number of government institutions are suspended and the electoral commission has done nothing to confront the junta. A prime minister has been appointed, but real administrative power rests with General Horta Ina-A. The military junta claims it will release the election results, but this could be a means of deflecting unconstitutional actions. Dias and Embalo are no longer in Guinea-Bissau. Fernando Dias accused President Embalo of inducing a self-coup. Little evidence exists of this claim and the junta made no further statements. Guinea-Bissau had military coups in 1980, 2003, and 2012. More coups could happen if transition of power, electoral process, and the public are not respected.
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