Guinea-Bissau faces political uncertainty as both leading presidential candidates have declared victory ahead of the official election results.
Fernando Dias, widely regarded as the main challenger to incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, was the first to announce his win. Embalo’s camp quickly countered, asserting that their candidate secured over 50% of the vote, enough to avoid a runoff. Local media reported that official results were expected later on Tuesday.
The competing claims have raised concerns about potential instability in the West African nation, which has a history of military interventions and political unrest.
Dias has received support from the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, whose own presidential bid was disqualified on technical grounds.
If confirmed, a second term for Embalo would mark him as Guinea-Bissau’s first leader in three decades to achieve consecutive terms.
The election has been described as one of the country’s most contentious in recent years, largely due to the exclusion of the main opposition party from the race, intensifying political tensions and public scrutiny.
