Bissau: The head of the junta calls on a military unit loyal to the ousted former president to surrender.

The head of the ruling junta in Guinea-Bissau, General Horta N'Tam, called on Wednesday for members of the presidential guard, known to be close to the ousted former president Umaro Sissoco Embalo, to "lay down their arms (...) voluntarily", during a ceremony in Bissau on Wednesday.

Guinea-Bissau has been ruled since November 26, 2025, the day before the expected announcement of the provisional results of the presidential and legislative elections, by military officers who overthrew outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and suspended the electoral process.

Many observers at the time suspected Mr. Embalo of having orchestrated the coup to stop the electoral process which he seemed to be losing, but the junta has recently taken several steps indicating that it is distancing itself from the former president.

The junta is supposed to organize presidential and legislative elections on December 6, which are meant to formalize the return to power of civilians.

At the end of September, Mr. Embalo announced to AFP that he was preparing to return to Guinea-Bissau and that he would be a candidate in the presidential election in December.

But a few days before his announced return, the junta announced that the "security conditions" were not met.

This was followed by rumors of discontent within the presidential guard, which was known to be loyal to Mr. Embalo.

In the aftermath, several members of this corps were disarmed and placed under control at headquarters.

"It was a poorly organized structure installed in the Palace," the transitional president stated, assuring that none of them had been expelled from the armed forces.

However, on Wednesday the head of state called on members of this structure who have not yet surrendered their weapons to do so "voluntarily, as quickly as possible".

A commission has been set up to recover all the war materiel assigned to the elements of the presidential guard as part of their mission.

"It's time to hand over the weapons for those who still have them at home. Woe to those who refuse to obey," he said.

"The general, who is distancing himself from former president Embalo, wants to remain at the center of the game," analyzes an African diplomat stationed in Bissau.

"We are even wondering if the elections will be able to take place in December. A postponement is possible," the source continued.

Guinea-Bissau, a Portuguese-speaking coastal country in West Africa located between Senegal and Guinea (Conakry), had, before the coup of November 26, 2025, already experienced four coups and a host of attempted coups since its independence from Portugal.