BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau (AP) \u2014 Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau on Thursday announced a new junta leader for the country, cementing a forceful takeover of power that began after the country\u2019s presidential election.<\/p>\n
The military high command inaugurated Gen. Horta Inta-A as the head of the military government, which will oversee a one-year transition period, according to declaration announced on state television.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe inability of political actors to stem the deterioration of the political climate ultimately prompted the intervention of the armed forces,\u201d said Inta-A, who was the army chief of staff until the coup and a close ally of deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embal\u00f3.<\/p>\n
Embal\u00f3\u2019s whereabouts remained unknown Thursday. He told French media Wednesday that he was arrested by soldiers as gunshots rang out near the presidential palace.<\/p>\n
The opposition, meanwhile, alleged Embal\u00f3 had fabricated the coup to avoid an election defeat in Sunday\u2019s closely contested presidential vote<\/a>. <\/p>\n The military takeover and the reported arrest of Embal\u00f3 was \u201cfabricated\u201d to disrupt election results expected Thursday, according to his rival Fernando Dias, who, like Embalo, claimed to have won the vote.<\/p>\n The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims by Dias, a member of the Social Renewal Party.<\/p>\n The opposition African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde and Dias had called on residents to stage protests against the coup and demand publication of the election results. But on Thursday morning, activities appeared to be normal in the capital Bissau, with businesses and public transport gradually picking up. <\/p>\n The latest in a string of coups<\/p>\n Guinea-Bissau, one of the world\u2019s poorest countries, has been dogged by coups and attempted coups since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago, including a coup attempt in October<\/a>. The country of 2.2 million people is known as a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a trend that experts say has fueled its political crises.<\/p>\n The reported coup is the latest in a surge of military takeovers<\/a> in West Africa, where democracy recently has been challenged by disputed elections<\/a> that analysts say could embolden militaries.<\/p>\n Gunshots rang out in the main city of Bissau on Wednesday just days after the tense presidential election, which Embalo and Dias both claimed to have won.<\/p>\n In a scene that has become familiar in the region, military officers appeared on state television and claimed they had seized power. Embal\u00f3, who was seeking a rare second term, then told French media he had been arrested while the election commission\u2019s office was sealed.<\/p>\n Dias, 47, said in his video that he escaped custody \u201cthrough a backdoor\u201d after reports he was arrested by soldiers. He vowed to fight back.<\/p>\n \u201cUmaro lost the elections, and instead of accepting the result, he fabricated a coup d\u2019\u00e9tat,\u201d Dias said. \u201cOnce again, we, we have been the target of false coup d\u2019\u00e9tat. … We will liberate ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n