Guinea-Bissau Election Halted After Armed Men Seize Ballots and Vandalize Servers

Election Disruption in Guinea-Bissau

• ⚠️ An official stated that the presidential election process in Guinea-Bissau could not be completed due to armed men seizing ballots and vote tallies.
• ⚡ The National Electoral Commission's IT services were vandalized, and the server containing the national aggregation software disappeared.
• 📌 The commission lacks the necessary material and logistical conditions to continue with the election.

Military Takeover and Transitional President

• 💥 Army officers seized power on November 26th, the day before election results were due to be announced.
• 🏛️ The Electoral Commission offices and other buildings were attacked during the military takeover.
• 🗓️ Major General Horta Ina was sworn in as the new transitional president on November 27th, halting the election process and promising a one-year transitional period.

International Pressure and Regional Response

• ⚖️ New military leaders are facing pressure to restore constitutional order and allow the electoral process to resume.
• 🤝 A high-level delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met with military leaders and electoral commission officials.
• 🌍 ECOWAS leaders, who have threatened sanctions, are set to meet on December 14th to discuss the ongoing crisis.