Guinea-Bissau electoral commission unable to finalize results after armed men steal vote tally

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau (AP) – Guinea-Bissau’s electoral commission said Tuesday that it’s unable to finalize results of a disputed presidential vote after armed men broke into its office and stole vote tally sheets the same day the military seized power.

The announcement did not identify the armed men.

It said the break-in happened on Nov. 26, three days after presidential and legislative elections in which incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa each claimed victory.

The military then seized power and installed former army chief of staff Gen. Horta Inta-a as the head of the military government, which will oversee a one-year transition period. On Saturday, Inta-a appointed a new 28-member government, most of whom are allies of the ousted president.

Embalo has since fled to the Republic of Congo’s capital Brazzaville. Meanwhile, Nigeria said its President Bola Tinubu has granted protection for da Costa in response to an “imminent threat to his life.”

Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been dogged by coups and attempted coups since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago, including a coup attempt in October. The country of 2.2 million people is known as a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a trend that experts say has fueled its political crises.