标签： Africa

LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has declared a nationwide state of emergency in response to escalating security crises marked by mass abductions of schoolchildren and intensified attacks against civilians. The presidential declaration, announced Wednesday, activates constitutional powers reserved for national crises.

The security overhaul includes plans to recruit 20,000 additional police officers, expanding the national force to 50,000 personnel. Tinubu has further authorized intelligence agencies to deploy specialized forest guards to protect vulnerable remote territories from armed militant groups. “My fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas,” Tinubu stated.

The declaration follows two major abduction incidents last week in Kebbi and Niger states, where gunmen seized approximately 325 students. While Kebbi’s 25 abductees have been rescued and reunited with families, search operations continue for the remaining 300 children taken in Niger state.

International attention has intensified following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks alleging Christian persecution in Nigeria and threatening potential intervention. These developments have highlighted the critical security situation confronting Africa’s most populous nation.

Security analysts express skepticism about the effectiveness of Tinubu’s approach. Confidence McHarry, senior security analyst at Lagos-based geopolitical consultancy SBM Intelligence, cautioned that merely increasing security personnel fails to address underlying drivers of conflict. “The ruling elites are yet to awaken to the major reality that the issue has gone beyond throwing bodies at the problem,” McHarry told The Associated Press, emphasizing the need to address government accountability, local grievances, and troop welfare.

Nigeria faces threats from multiple armed factions including religious extremist organizations like Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province, alongside criminal syndicates conducting kidnappings for ransom. This represents the first nationwide security emergency since 2013, when Nigeria concentrated emergency measures in the northeast region to counter emerging terrorist threats.

In a dramatic turn of events, Guinea-Bissau has plunged into political chaos as General Horta N’Tam was sworn in as the transitional head of state on Thursday, following an apparent military coup. The brief and subdued ceremony took place at the army headquarters, marking the beginning of a one-year transitional period. This development comes just a day after the military suspended the electoral process and blocked the release of the presidential election results, which were initially expected on the same day. The election, held on Sunday, saw both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his closest rival, Fernando Dias, claiming victory. Civil society groups have accused Embaló of orchestrating a ‘simulated coup’ with military backing to prevent the election results from being published, should he lose. Embaló, who has not responded to these allegations, has previously claimed to have survived multiple coup attempts during his tenure. Critics, however, argue that he has fabricated crises to suppress dissent. Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation sandwiched between Senegal and Guinea, has a tumultuous history marked by nine coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. The country, known as a notorious drug-trafficking hub, has struggled with political instability and economic challenges. On Wednesday, military officers announced they had seized control of the country, following reports of Embaló’s arrest. Gunshots were heard in the capital, Bissau, though details about the shooting and potential casualties remain unclear. The officers appeared on state TV, declaring the suspension of the electoral process and accusing unnamed politicians, allegedly supported by a drug baron, of plotting to destabilize the country. They also announced the closure of borders and imposed a night-time curfew. Embaló, in a phone call to France 24, confirmed his deposition. Government sources revealed that Dias, former Prime Minister Domingos Pereira, and Interior Minister Botché Candé were also detained. The coup leaders took army chief General Biague Na Ntan and his deputy, General Mamadou Touré, into custody. The African Union and the West African bloc Ecowas expressed ‘deep concern’ over the coup, emphasizing that the country had been prepared for the announcement of election results after an ‘orderly and peaceful’ process. Portugal, the former colonial ruler, called for a return to constitutional order, urging all parties to refrain from violence. As of Thursday, Guinea-Bissau’s borders have reportedly reopened. Embaló, 53, had aimed to secure a second consecutive mandate, a feat not achieved in the last 30 years. His legitimacy was questioned by the opposition, who argued his term should have ended in February 2025. Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest nations with a population of over two million, faces significant challenges, including its role as a key transit point for cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe.

LAGOS, Nigeria — Guinea-Bissau has become the newest addition to Africa’s expanding roster of military takeovers, marking the latest erosion of democratic governance across the continent. The political upheaval unfolded when sustained gunfire erupted near presidential offices on Wednesday, culminating in uniformed officers commandeering state television to declare their seizure of power.

The deposed leader, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, found himself detained following the putsch amid an ongoing bitter power struggle with opposition forces. Both factions had previously asserted victory in recent presidential elections, creating the political vacuum exploited by military elements.

This coastal West African nation of 2.2 million inhabitants exemplifies a troubling regional pattern characterized by electoral disputes, constitutional instability, widespread youth dissatisfaction, and increasing military intervention in civilian governance.

A comprehensive analysis of recent African coups reveals concerning trends:

Mali (August 2020 & May 2021): Experienced consecutive military interventions, with Colonel Assimi Goita ultimately consolidating power and postponing elections until 2077. Mali has since joined with Burkina Faso and Niger to form a breakaway alliance explicitly rejecting democratic restoration.

Chad (April 2021): Witnessed General Mahamat Idris Deby extending his family’s thirty-year dominion following his father’s death, subsequently holding elections widely criticized as fraudulent.

Guinea (September 2021): Saw Colonel Mamady Doumbouya oust President Alpha Condé, who had previously manipulated constitutional term limits. Doumbouya now prepares to contest December elections under revised rules favoring military candidates.

Sudan (October 2021): General Abdel-Fattah Burhan’s takeover eventually triggered catastrophic civil conflict when power-sharing arrangements with paramilitary leaders collapsed in April 2023.

Burkina Faso (January & September 2022): Endured two successive coups within eight months, with Captain Ibrahim Traoré ultimately dissolving the electoral commission and consolidating military rule.

Niger (July 2023): General Abdourahamane Tchiani’s deposition of Mohamed Bazoum created regional fractures within ECOWAS and prompted the formation of the Sahel States Alliance.

Gabon (August 2023): Brice Oligui Nguema, cousin of ousted president Ali Bongo, assumed control after military intervention nullified election results and dissolved government institutions.

Madagascar (October 2025): Military forces capitalized on popular discontent over infrastructure failures to remove President Andry Rajoelina.

Guinea-Bissau’s intervention continues this pattern, preventing what might have been the nation’s first democratically reelected president from completing his term.

Malawi is embroiled in a political controversy as police investigate the disappearance of four German Shepherd police dogs from the Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe during the country’s recent political transition. The theft, which occurred between September 19 and October 4, has led to the arrest of Godfrey Arthur Jalale, former deputy chief of staff under ex-President Lazarus Chakwera. Jalale denies any involvement in the incident. The dogs, valued at $2,300, are believed to have been stolen alongside other state properties from two presidential residences.