German government fears 'downward spiral' in Africa's Sahel region

The German government says it is very concerned about a coup in the West African country of Guinea-Bissau.

"This new development is part of the downward spiral in terms of security in the Sahel region," a spokesman for the Foreign Office in Berlin said on Friday.

Germany welcomes the swift response of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has clearly spoken out against the military takeover, the spokesman said.

The Senegalese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that the acting president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, had been flown to the neighbouring West African country.

The day before, the military in Guinea-Bissau had announced that it had taken power in the coastal state with a population of around 2.2 million.

The background to the coup is still unclear.

The German government is monitoring the situation very closely, according to a statement issued in Berlin on Friday.

Germany does not have its own embassy in Guinea-Bissau, but does have a liaison office there.

Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced several coups and attempted coups. It is considered a hub for cocaine smuggling between Latin America and Europe.

Former general Embaló, 53, has been in power since 2020 and dissolved parliament at the end of 2023.

He had spoken several times in the past about coup attempts against him, most recently in October. His legal term of office expired several months ago.