\nGen Horta N’Tam has been proclaimed Guinea-Bissau’s transitional president [Reuters]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The ex-president arrived in neighbouring Senegal on a chartered military flight late on Thursday, following his release by the military forces who toppled his government.<\/p>\n
Nigeria’s former leader Jonathan, who led a team of election observers from the West African Elders Forum to Guinea-Bissau, said the incident “was not a coup”.<\/p>\n
He described it as a “ceremonial coup”, questioning the events that preceded Wednesday’s announcement of a power grab by the military.<\/p>\n
He specifically wondered why President Embal\u00f3 was the first to announce his own overthrow and drew contrasts with how other leaders in the region were ousted in recent coups.<\/p>\n
Embal\u00f3 phoned up French TV station France 24 and said: “I have been deposed.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Senegal’s Sonko told lawmakers that “what happened in Guinea-Bissau was a sham”.<\/p>\n
The statements of both men add to claims by the opposition that the coup was staged, although none has so far presented evidence to support this.<\/p>\n
Embal\u00f3 has not commented on the allegations.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Guinea-Bissau’s transitional leader Gen Horta N’Tam appointed Ilidio Vieira T\u00e9, previously the finance minister, as the new prime minister.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the African Union suspended Guinea-Bissau on Friday following the unconstitutional military takeover, AFP reports.<\/p>\n
The West African bloc Ecowas took a similar action, while urging the military to return to the barracks.<\/p>\n
Guinea-Bissau is a coup-prone West African nation which is also strained by drug trafficking.<\/p>\n
The military said they were taking power to thwart a plot by unnamed politicians who had “the support of a well-known drug baron” to destabilise the country.<\/p>\n
A mother of three told the BBC it was not the first military takeover she had lived through, nonetheless it came as a surprise as people were expecting to hear about the outcome of the election, which had an estimated voter turnout of more than 65%.<\/p>\n
“We heard gunfire. We ran away. We tried to pack our bags to go home,” she said.<\/p>\n
Another resident of the capital, Bissau, said he was unhappy about the situation.<\/p>\n
“This doesn’t help anyone. Because it puts the country into chaos,” Mohamed Sylla told the BBC.<\/p>\n
But reactions have been mixed, with some residents praising the army and hoping for an orderly transition.<\/p>\n
“I am not against the military regime as long as they improve the living conditions in the country,” Suncar Gassama told the BBC.<\/p>\n\n\n[BBC]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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