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Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo mentioned stability was restored on Tuesday, after a suspected coup try within the nation’s capital, Bissau.
The remarks got here after heavy gunfire was heard for a number of hours within the capital. The assault additionally comes on the heels of a spate of coups within the area in Burkina Faso, Mali and different African nations.
What did the president say?
Embalo informed the media that officers have been collaborating in a gathering at a authorities palace, when assailants with AK-47 rifles launched an assault on the constructing.
The president mentioned the state of affairs is now “below management” after an “assault on democracy.” He mentioned “many” members of the safety forces have been killed within the practically 5 hour assault.
“Our republican protection and safety forces have been capable of cease this evil,” Embalo mentioned.
He mentioned the assault “has to additionally do with our combat towards narco trafficking” although it is unclear who is precisely behind the assault.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo spoke with reporters, saying the coup try had been thwarted — but it surely was unclear what group was behind the try
Regional teams swiftly condemned the violence, giving credence to fears that an armed group had tried to take over the West African nation as soon as extra.
Individuals have been seen fleeing the world on the sting of Bissau, close to the airport. Native markets have been closed and banks shut their doorways, whereas navy automobiles laden with troops drove by way of the streets.
Guinea-Bissau has skilled 4 coup d’etats and greater than a dozen tried coups since independence from Portugal in 1974.
The nation’s state broadcaster reported earlier that the taking pictures had broken the constructing and that “invaders” have been holding officers hostage.
ECOWAS, AU condemn violence
The regional bloc ECOWAS and the African Union issued swift rebukes of the navy.
“The President of the African Union Fee, Moussa Faki Mahamat, is following with grave concern the state of affairs in Guinea-Bissau, consisting of an tried coup towards the nation’s authorities,” the AU mentioned in a press release.
“He calls on the navy to return to their barracks at once and to guard the bodily security of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and members of his authorities and to right away free these of them who’re in detention,” it mentioned.
In its personal assertion, ECOWAS mentioned it “condemns this coup try and holds the navy answerable for the bodily integrity of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and the members of his authorities.”
Portugal’s international ministry additionally condemned the assault and known as for respect for constitutional order.
President Embalo has been on the middle of controversy since he was declared the winner of the December 2019 runoff vote. The outcomes have been contested by his opponent, Domingos Simoes Pereira.
Embalo began forming a brand new authorities with help from the navy whereas a Supreme Court docket election problem was nonetheless pending.
Guinea-Bissau has lengthy suffered from official corruption, in addition to the violence that comes with drug trafficking. Due to graft and lax regulation enforcement, the nation is used as a transit level for cocaine on the way in which to Europe from South America.
wd, es/nm (AP, Reuters)
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