Gambiaj.com – (Rabat, Morocco) – Ousted Guinea-Bissau president Umaro Sissoco Embaló has arrived in Morocco, settling on Rabat as his preferred place of exile after brief stops in Senegal and Congo-Brazzaville following the November 26 coup that removed him from power.
According to information obtained by Jeune Afrique, Embaló departed Brazzaville on Wednesday, December 3, aboard a special flight accompanied by members of his family and several close associates.
His arrival in Rabat marks his third relocation in a week, after initially fleeing Bissau for Dakar and later moving from the Senegalese capital to Brazzaville.
Sources say Morocco was a deliberate choice. Embaló has long maintained strong diplomatic ties with Rabat, consistently supporting Morocco’s position on Western Sahara and backing key bilateral projects such as the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline.
He is expected to remain in the kingdom for an extended period as he seeks stability after the sudden military takeover led by General Horta N’Tam.
Left Senegal Voluntarily After Sonko’s Remarks
Contrary to earlier speculation, Jeune Afrique reports that Embaló was not expelled or pressured to leave Senegal, where he stayed for just 48 hours. Instead, he chose to depart after comments made by Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko during a parliamentary session.
Sonko had suggested that the events in Guinea-Bissau were a “scheme” orchestrated by Embaló himself, a claim that deeply displeased the deposed president and reportedly prompted his decision to seek refuge elsewhere.
Embaló Breaks Silence, Rejects Claims of Self-Orchestrated Coup
Speaking to Jeune Afrique, Embaló firmly denied allegations that he staged the coup to consolidate power, describing such claims as “fake news.”
“If I had organized all of this myself, I would still be in power,” he said, rejecting theories that he collaborated with General Horta N’Tam or other military elites to fabricate a crisis. Instead, he accused senior officers of being the true instigators of the coup, insisting he was the victim of a genuine overthrow.
International observers have struggled to interpret the political turmoil in Guinea-Bissau, where Embaló’s announcement of a coup came as the country awaited presidential election results. The ambiguity surrounding the incident fuelled speculation and accusations, which the former president is now attempting to dispel from exile.
With his relocation to Morocco, Embaló begins what appears to be a longer-term exile, even as questions linger over the motivations and actors behind Guinea-Bissau’s latest political upheaval.
