The Federal Government has confirmed that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is safe and has departed Guinea-Bissau following the military coup that overthrew the country’s government.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, assuring journalists that Jonathan was “very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau.”
Jonathan, who headed the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission, had been in the country monitoring last Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections when soldiers seized power and suspended the electoral process.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, Filipe Nyusi, former President of Mozambique and leader of the African Union Election Observation Mission; Issifu Kamara, Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission; and Jonathan condemned the coup, describing it as a deliberate attempt to derail Guinea-Bissau’s democratic transition.
The observers urged citizens to remain calm and reaffirmed their collective commitment to supporting the country “during this sensitive period,” emphasising the need to safeguard peace, stability, and the welfare of the Bissau-Guinean people.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government also denounced the coup, warning that the action poses a grave danger to democracy and regional security.
