Armed men in civilian clothes broke into the Presidential Palace the day before while an extraordinary Council of Ministers was in session, in which Embaló, Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam and other cabinet members were participating.

After five hours of fighting, the president calmed the nation by assuring that he was fine and that the country was under the control of the republican forces and the action was an attack against democracy.

Military forces told the press that several mutineers were being held at the Armed Forces headquarters in the Amura fortress, in the center of the capital, Bissau, but so far the identities of the participants are unknown.

Although the President did not mention the names of the participants, he said that the attempt to murder him and the Prime Minister was related to his country´s fight against drug smuggling.

Embaló was sworn into office in February 2020 after a close presidential election in which his rival from the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde Domingos Simoes Pereira filed several demands due to irregularities. Although the supreme court requested a recount of the votes, the electoral judge refused to do it.

Since 1974 only president José Mario Vaz (2014-2020) was able to complete the term of office for which he was democratically elected.

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