Nigeria provides safe haven for Guinea-Bissau opposition leader as coup crisis deepens
Nigeria has placed Guinea-Bissau opposition leader Fernando Dias da Costa under protection at its Bissau embassy after threats to his life, and asked ECOWAS troops to reinforce security amid the coup crisis.
Nigeria has granted special protection to Guinea-Bissau opposition presidential candidate Fernando Dias da Costa following credible threats to his life, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.
The 47-year-old, who ran as the main challenger to incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in the 23 November elections, was placed under protection at the Nigerian embassy in Bissau. The move was approved by President Bola Tinubu and communicated in a letter dated 30 November to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission President Omar Alieu Touray.
More To Read
- Historic Algeria declaration frames colonialism as multidimensional crime
- Guinea-Bissau’s military takeover highlights the nation’s history of coups and deepening crisis across the region
- AU calls for rapid tech adoption in farming to shield continent from food crises
- Nigeria's defense minister resigns amid security crisis
- Guinea-Bissau military takeover after disputed election sparks ECOWAS action
- Wave of coups in Africa: What President Paul Kagame thinks
In a letter to ECOWAS on Sunday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that Dias da Costa was at the Nigerian embassy in Bissau and requested that ECOWAS troops provide additional security. Tuggar noted that President Bola Tinubu had approved protection for Dias da Costa within the embassy.
"The decision to accommodate Mr [Fernando Dias] da Costa in the Nigerian premises underscores our firm commitment to safeguarding the democratic aspirations and the sovereign will of the good people of Guinea-Bissau," Tuggar said in the letter to ECOWAS Commission President Alieu Omar Touray.
Provide additional security
Nigeria asked ECOWAS to direct its Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ESSMGB) to provide additional security for Dias da Costa at the embassy.
ECOWAS, led by the chairman and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, has engaged the military in Guinea-Bissau in mediation talks, calling for a “complete restoration of constitutional order.”
During the visit, ECOWAS officials demanded that the military release election results and allow the democratic process to continue.
“We’ve had very fruitful discussions. Both sides have expressed their different concerns,” said Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba.
The main opposition African Independence Party for Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) reported that its headquarters had been “illegally invaded by heavily armed militia groups” following the coup. The party had been barred from presenting a presidential candidate in the election, a move criticised by civil society groups as part of a wider clampdown on dissent.
Dias da Costa was the main challenger to Embaló, who claimed victory in the disputed election before provisional results were released. Both candidates declared victory ahead of the official announcement.
Military officers seized power on November 26, just hours before the electoral commission was due to release official results. Brigadier General Dinis Incanha, head of the presidential military office, led the takeover and established a transitional government.
The coup has drawn widespread regional and international condemnation. ECOWAS suspended Guinea-Bissau from its decision-making bodies and urged the military to restore constitutional order.
The African Union also suspended the country, emphasising zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the immediate release of detained officials, warning that ignoring the will of the people constitutes a violation of democratic principles.
Top Stories Today
