Less than a week after the military coup that ousted him on November 26, 2025, former Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló landed at Rabat-Salé Airport on Wednesday, December 3, coming from Brazzaville on a private plane accompanied by about twelve close associates.
Information revealed by “Jeune Afrique” confirmed that the ousted president, after being overthrown, left for Senegal, then to Congo, before finally heading to Morocco, which remains the most stable destination and the least exposed to regional pressures.
Path of Exile
- Dakar (November 26-28): Embaló left Bissau immediately after the coup on a Senegalese military plane, but he did not stay in the Senegalese capital for more than 40 hours, amid fiery statements from Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who described the events as “hidden maneuvers.”
- Brazzaville (November 29 – December 3): He was warmly welcomed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso, but the stay did not last long. Diplomatic pressures and the fear that Congo would turn into another temporary stop compelled him to leave quickly.
The Coup
The army announced the ousting of Embaló “to protect democracy,” while the ousted president insisted in an interview with “Jeune Afrique” that what occurred was a true coup led by senior officers of the Balante ethnic group (most represented in the army), strongly denying rumors that he orchestrated the coup himself to remain in power through a military façade.
