Embattled President Umaro Embaló of Guinea-Bissau has said many members of his own security forces had been killed in what he termed a failed attack against democracy.
Addressing the media after a coup scare in the West African country on Tuesday, President Embaló said; “It wasn’t just a coup. It was an attempt to kill the president, the prime minister, and eliminate the entire cabinet.”
New York Times also quoted the President as saying that some of the perpetrators had been arrested, adding that; “Armed attackers tried to enter the building but were repelled. They were well prepared and organized and could be related to people involved in drug trafficking.”
President Embalo’s reaction came hours after soldiers exchanged heavy gunfire near a government compound where he was chairing a cabinet meeting.
There have been at least six coup attempts in African countries since 2020, raising concerns democracy was under threat in the region.
Already, regional bodies and the United Nations have issued statements condemning the attack by the military in Guinea-Bissau.
“ECOWAS is following with great concern the evolution of the situation in Guinea-Bissau … where military gunfire is taking place around the Government Palace,” the regional body said in a Tuesday statement.
Similarly, the African Union Commission (AUC)’s Chairperson, Moussa Mahamat, said in a statement, that they are following the situation in Guinea Bissau with great concern.
According to the statement, Mahamat has urged “the military to return to their barracks without delay and to ensure the physical integrity of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and the members of his government and to immediately release those among them who are in detention.”
Also in his reaction, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, said the situation pointed to a worrisome trend, noting that; “We are seeing a terrible multiplication of coups, and our strong appeal is for soldiers to go back to the barracks, and for the constitutional order to be fully in place.”
Guinea-Bissau has weathered at least four successful coups, the last in 2012, and about a dozen attempted ones since it gained independence from Portugal 48 years ago. – Agency reports
