ECOWAS
ECOWAS denounces sparks in Guinea Bissau. The Economic Community of West African States has severely denounced an outbreak of fighting in Guinea-Bissau on Friday, which has since calmed down.
Clashes between soldiers of the national guard and presidential guard special forces erupted Thursday night in Bissau, killing two.
In a statement, ECOWAS said it “strongly condemns the violence and all attempts to undermine the constitutional order and rule of law in Guinea-Bissau.”
“ECOWAS further calls for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the incident in accordance with the law.”
Following the report that the army had seized Colonel Victor Tchongo, leader of the National Guard, calm had returned to the small nation with a history of volatility by mid-morning Friday.
According to army and intelligence officers, members of the national guard attacked a police station Thursday evening to extract Finance Minister Souleiman Seidi and Treasury Secretary Antonio Monteiro.
The two government officials were being questioned regarding a $10 million withdrawal from state accounts. They were detained on the orders of state prosecutors appointed by the president.
The national guard, on the other hand, is controlled by the Interior Ministry, which, like the majority of ministries in the country, is led by the PAIGC party, whose coalition won the June 2023 elections.
After the army took control of the two government officials, they were jailed once more.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo is in Dubai for the COP28 climate conference, having been elected to a five-year term in December 2019.
Guinea-Bissau has seen a number of coups and coup attempts since winning independence from Portugal in 1974, the most recent being a failed overthrow in February 2022.