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Guinea-Bissau: Coup attempt ended according to president
According to the government of the West African country, a coup attempt in Guinea-Bissau has failed. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said many security forces had been killed in a “failed attack on democracy”. Some attackers could be arrested. “It wasn’t just an attempt at a coup, it was an attempt to kill the president and my entire cabinet. He was very well prepared. It wasn’t just about the military, it was also about our fight against drug trafficking.” Previously, there had been violent exchanges of fire near a government building where the President was chairing a cabinet meeting. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was also deeply concerned about the reports. Guterres called for an immediate end to the violence and called for respect for the country’s democratic institutions. Guinea-Bissau has been considered politically unstable for years: nine coups or coup attempts have been counted since independence from Portugal in 1974.
In the capital Bissau, attackers had previously fired on a government building. In West Africa, coups have already taken place in several countries in recent months.