{{Short description|Bissau-Guinean military officer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Brigadier General | name = Dinis Incanha | image = | office = Chief of the High Command | term_start = 26 November 2025 | term_end = 27 November 2025 | president = ''Vacant'' | prime_minister = Braima Camará | predecessor = ''Office established''<br />Umaro Sissoco Embaló<br>{{small|(as President)}} | successor = Horta Inta-A Na Man | office1 = Head of the Military Office of the Presidency | term_start1 = 24 February 2021 | term_end1 = | president1 = Umaro Sissoco Embaló<br />''Vacant''<br />Horta Inta-A Na Man (''transitional'') | predecessor1 = António Abel | successor1 = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1960|8|15}}{{citation needed|date=December 2025}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = | spouse = | allegiance = {{flag|Guinea-Bissau}} | branch = {{armed forces|Guinea-Bissau|name=Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People}} | rank = 20px Brigadier general }} '''Dinis Incanha'''<ref name="DW 24-2-2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/pt-002/guin%C3%A9-bissau-o-que-significam-as-trocas-nas-for%C3%A7as-armadas/a-56664063 |title=Guiné-Bissau: O que significam as trocas nas Forças Armadas|publisher=DW|date=23 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="RFI 24-2-2021">{{Cite web |date=2021-02-24 |title=Chefe de Estado guineense muda chefia da Casa Militar da presidência |url=https://www.rfi.fr/pt/guin%C3%A9-bissau/20210224-chefe-de-estado-guineense-muda-chefia-da-casa-militar-da-presid%C3%AAncia |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=RFI |language=pt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=8 September 2014 |publisher=Correio da Manhã Canadá |title=Chefes militares da Guiné-Bissau sem dinheiro para viajar para reunião internacional |url=https://www.correiodamanhacanada.com/chefes-militares-da-guine-bissau-sem-dinheiro-para-viajar-para-reuniao-internacional/}}<!-- auto-translated from Portuguese by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>{{efn|Also spelled '''N'Tchama''' and '''N'Canha'''.}} (born 15 August 1960{{citation needed|date=December 2025}}) is a Bissau-Guinean brigadier general who led the 2025 coup d'état<ref>{{cite web | title=Guinea-Bissau army officers say they have seized power; president arrested | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/26/guinea-bissau-army-claims-total-control-after-gunshots-heard-in-capital }}</ref> becoming the Chief of the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order afterwards. Before the coup, he served as the head of the military office of the presidency.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-26 |title=Live: Guinea-Bissau military officers announce 'all borders closed' after taking control of country |url=https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20251126-live-guinea-bissau-military-officers-coup-elections-president-embalo |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Army officers say they have seized power in Guinea-Bissau |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/sustained-gunfire-near-guinea-bissau-election-commission-building-witnesses-say-2025-11-26/ |access-date=26 November 2025 |work=Reuters}}</ref> He was Guinea-Bissau's ''de facto'' leader as Spokesperson of the military junta for a day from 26 to 27 November 2025 after leading the coup d'état, becoming the shortest-serving head of state in Bissau-Guinean history.
He was appointed the presidency's military office head ({{langx|pt|Chefe da Casa Militar da Presidência}}) in February 2021 replacing General António Abel.<ref name="RFI 24-2-2021"/> He was a colonel then but was later promoted to brigadier general.
In a televised announcement on 26 November 2025, Incanha announced that the military had taken "total control" of the country and had arrested President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, as well as other leaders, and announced the establishment of the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-26 |title=Guinea-Bissau coup: Soldiers say they have taken power as President Umaro Sissoco Embaló arrested |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0edww3qgq2o |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> He stated that it would rule the country until further notice and appealed for calm among the populace. Incanha suspended all political institutions and media outlets<ref name="ap">{{cite news |date=26 November 2025 |title=Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau appear on state television saying they have seized power in the country |url=https://apnews.com/article/guinea-bissau-presidential-palace-unrest-election-2a1371eb1ceb25596b99c4cc4062bc95 |work=AP News}}</ref> and the electoral process, closed international borders,<ref name="f24">{{cite news |date=26 November 2025 |title=Guinea-Bissau military officers claim 'total control' of country |url=https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20251126-gunfire-heard-near-guinea-bissau-presidential-palace-provisional-election-results-expected |work=France 24}}</ref> and imposed an indefinite overnight curfew.<ref name="aljazeera">{{cite news |date=26 November 2025 |title=Guinea-Bissau army officers claim 'total control' as gunshots rock capital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/26/guinea-bissau-army-claims-total-control-after-gunshots-heard-in-capital |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref>
On 27 November 2025, he presided over the investiture ceremony of General Horta Inta-A Na Man as Transitional President of Guinea-Bissau and Chief of the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/pt-002/golpe-na-guin%C3%A9-bissau-empossado-presidente-de-transi%C3%A7%C3%A3o/live-74922279|title=Golpe na Guiné-Bissau: Empossado presidente de transição|publisher=DW|date=27 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/mundo/general-horta-inta-a-empossado-presidente-de-transicao_n1701068|title=General Horta Inta-A empossado Presidente de transição|publisher=RTP|date=27 November 2025}}</ref>
==2025 coup d'état and leadership== {{Main|2025 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état}} On 26 November 2025, just as the general election results were about to be announced, gunshots were heard in Bissau near the Presidential Palace.<ref name="aljazeera"/><ref name="f24"/> Incanha then appeared on state television with a group of officers confirming that a coup has happened, with President Embaló being overthrown and subsequently arrested.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0edww3qgq2o|title=Soldiers seize power in Guinea-Bissau and detain the president|work=BBC|date=26 November 2025}}</ref> In his speech, Incanha said that the coup happened due to plans to "destabilise Guinea-Bissau" made by politicians, domestic and foreign figures, and a "well-known drug lord".<ref name="dw">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/guinea-bissau-military-deposes-president-embalo-after-vote/a-74909428|title=Guinea-Bissau military deposes President Embalo after vote|work=DW|date=26 November 2025}}</ref>
A few hours later, Incanha and the other officers then announced the formation of the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order, with Incanha becoming its chief and thus the country's ''de facto'' leader.<ref name="dw"/><ref name="bbc-20251126">{{cite news |last1=Negoce |first1=Nicolas |last2=Njie |first2=Paul |last3=Chibelushi |first3=Wedaeli |date=26 November 2025 |title=Soldiers seize power in Guinea-Bissau and detain the president |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0edww3qgq2o |access-date=30 November 2025 |work=BBC News |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251201032243/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0edww3qgq2o |archive-date=1 December 2025 |language=en-gb}}</ref> However, a day after the coup on 27 November, Incanha stepped down and handed over power to General Horta Inta-A Na Man.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.africanews.com/2025/11/27/guinea-bissau-soldiers-announce-gen-horta-nta-as-junta-leader/ |title=Guinea-Bissau soldiers announce Gen. Horta N'Ta as junta leader |work=Africanews |date=27 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20251127-general-horta-nta-sworn-in-as-guinea-bissau-transitional-leader-following-coup|title=General Horta N'Tam sworn in as Guinea-Bissau transitional leader following coup|work=France 24|date=27 November 2025}}</ref> Incanha thus became the shortest-serving leader in Bissau-Guinean history, and also subsequently retained his role as the head of the military office of the presidency.
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before = Umaro Sissoco Embaló<br>{{small|as President}} }} {{s-ttl | title = Chief of the High Command | years = 2025 }} {{s-aft | after = Horta Inta-A Na Man<br>{{small|as Transitional President and Chief of the High Command}} }} {{s-end}}
{{Presidents of Guinea-Bissau}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Incanha, Denis}} Category:Living people Category:Bissau-Guinean generals Category:Leaders who took power by coup Category:20th-century Bissau-Guinean people Category:21st-century Bissau-Guinean people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:1960 births