Heavy gunfire was reported outside the presidential palace just three days after presidential and legislative elections in Guinea-Bissau. Both major candidates—incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias—have claimed victory.
Provisional election results are expected Thursday. The West African nation has a history of political instability, including four coups since independence, and is also a known transit hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe.
The elections had notably excluded the main opposition party, PAIGC, and its candidate Domingos Simoes Pereira, who were removed from the final candidate list by the Supreme Court for late filing.
A passerby fleeing the scene said, “we’re used to it in Bissau,” highlighting the country’s recurring post-election tensions.
