Military authorities in Guinea-Bissau have reopened all national borders, just a day after seizing power and disrupting the electoral process in the coup-prone West African nation.

General Lansana Mansali, inspector general of the armed forces, confirmed the decision on Thursday, telling AFP that “All borders are now open”, reversing Wednesday’s shutdown of all land, air and sea entry points.

The reopening comes amid renewed political upheaval in one of the world’s poorest countries, which has long struggled with instability and its role as a transit hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe.

Political stability had been a central issue in the general elections, given Guinea-Bissau’s turbulent history. As recently as October, the army said it had thwarted an “attempt to subvert the constitutional order”, leading to the arrest of several senior military officers.

International reactions poured in following the latest coup. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “following the situation with deep concern”, according to his spokesman, while former colonial ruler Portugal urged against “any act of institutional or civic violence”.

Media rights groups also condemned the situation. Sadibou Marong, director of Reporters Without Borders’s Sub-Saharan Africa office, criticized the suspension of media operations, calling it a major breach of press freedom. “The population must be able to be informed about what is happening in the country, especially in this context of political crisis”, he said.

Guinea-Bissau’s turmoil adds to a growing list of West African coups in recent years, with Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea all experiencing military takeovers.