Senegal's Sonko Condemns Guinea-Bissau Coup as 'Sham'

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko criticized the recent coup in Guinea-Bissau, labeling it a sham and advocating for the continuation of the country's election. The military installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as transitional president, ousting Umaro Sissoco Embalo. ECOWAS condemned the coup and suspended Guinea-Bissau.

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has denounced the recent coup in Guinea-Bissau, branding it as a 'sham' while insisting that the country's electoral process should proceed uninterrupted. His comments came during a parliamentary session on Friday.

The coup, which took place before the election results could be declared, saw the military install Major-General Horta Inta-a as the transitional president. This swift shift in power resulted in the ousting of the civilian leadership and prompted the previous president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, to seek refuge in Senegal with the aid of a West African regional bloc, ECOWAS intervention.

ECOWAS has since condemned the military takeover and announced the suspension of Guinea-Bissau from the bloc. It is urging the armed forces to return to the barracks and has planned a high-level mediation mission to resolve the crisis.

(With inputs from agencies.)