Officers order suspension of electoral process, border closures a day before presidential vote results expected.

Military officers in Guinea-Bissau have claimed “total control” of the country, a day after two leading candidates in a tightly contested presidential election both declared victory.

Calling themselves the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order”, the officers read out a statement on television on Wednesday, declaring that they’ve ordered the immediate suspension of the electoral process “until further notice”.

They also ordered the closure of all land, air and sea borders and an overnight curfew.

This came shortly after gunfire was heard near the election commission’s headquarters, the presidential palace and the Ministry of the Interior in the capital, Bissau.

The results of Sunday’s presidential vote – which saw President Umaro Sissoco Embalo pitted against his primary challenger, Fernando Dias was been expected to be announced on Thursday in the West African nation.

“I have been deposed,” Embalo told French broadcaster France24 in a phone call, adding that he was “currently at the general staff headquarters”.

Al Jazeera reporter Nicolas Haque reported that head of the main opposition PAIGC party, Domingos Simoes Pereira, has also been arrested, Haque also said.

“As well, we’ve just heard that the military is trying to cut off the Internet. There’s a curfew in place.”

The reporter also stated that the leader of this coup is Denis N’Canha who served as the head of the presidential guard.

International response:

The Portuguese government called for all parties to refrain from “any act of institutional or civic violence”.

In a statement, it said Guinea-Bissau’s state institutions must be allowed to function in order to finalise the electoral process.