Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been successfully evacuated from Guinea-Bissau after a military coup attempt on Wednesday threw the West African nation into chaos. Jonathan, who was on an official mission to observe Guinea-Bissau’s electoral process, had been under special military protection as tension escalated in the capital, Bissau.
Jonathan was in the country as part of a joint election observer mission deployed by the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF). The mission had been monitoring political developments ahead of the country’s upcoming elections when reports emerged of soldiers attempting to take control of major state institutions.
As gunfire erupted in parts of the city and communication became unstable, concerns grew across diplomatic lines about the safety of the Nigerian statesman, who has become a key figure in peace-building and conflict mediation within the region.
For several hours, Jonathan and other observer officials were kept under guarded security by the military as authorities assessed the risks and the possibility of extraction. The situation intensified as factions within the armed forces clashed, prompting urgent arrangements for Jonathan’s evacuation.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that the former President had been escorted out of the troubled nation.
Ebienfa disclosed that Jonathan was “very safe and out of Guinea-Bissau,” adding that the evacuation was carried out swiftly in coordination with regional partners to ensure his safety.
The Nigerian government and ECOWAS have been closely monitoring developments in Guinea-Bissau, a country with a long history of political instability. Wednesday’s events once again highlight the fragility of democratic institutions in parts of the region and the continuing challenges facing election observers and mediators.
Jonathan, who has increasingly taken on high-profile roles in diplomatic interventions since leaving office in 2015, is expected to brief ECOWAS and AU officials on his firsthand assessment of the crisis.
As the situation in Guinea-Bissau remains uncertain, international bodies are calling for restraint, dialogue, and a swift return to constitutional order.
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