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Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo termed the deadly violence involving members of the National Guard, which took place last week as an “attempted coup”
Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo termed the deadly violence involving members of the National Guard, which took place last week as an “attempted coup”. The President revealed that the army ordered them back to the barracks. The unrest between members of the National Guard and special forces of the presidential guard took place last Thursday night in the capital Bissau. This left at least two people dead.
Embalo, who was in Dubai attending the COP28 climate conference, arrived in Bissau on Saturday and said an attempted coup d’etat” had prevented him from returning. Embalo said the coup attempt was prepared before celebrations on November 16 commemorating the anniversary of the armed forces. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the small West African nation has seen a series of coups and coup attempts.
Embalo, who was elected to a five-year term in December 2019, survived a failed overthrow in February 2022. A military official said six soldiers were injured in the fighting and were evacuated to neighbouring Senegal.
Calm had returned to the small nation with a history of instability, following the announcement that the army had captured Colonel Victor Tchongo, commander of the National Guard. The security presence in Bissau was reduced. But soldiers were still visible around certain strategic buildings such as the presidential palace, the judicial police headquarters, and some ministries. Some National Guard officers and soldiers fled into the interior of the country, the army said without specifying numbers.
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The regional bloc the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) strongly condemned the violence and all attempts to disrupt the constitutional order and rule of law in Guinea-Bissau. The regional bloc also expressed its full solidarity with the people and constitutional authorities of Guinea-Bissau.
