Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has confirmed that heavy gunfire in the capital on Friday was an attempted coup.Unrest in Guinea-Bissau began late Thursday evening and continued into Friday morning. A soldier leader who tried to free a detained minister and senior state official was caught. National Guard members took the officials before seeking refuge in barracks. Special forces intervened after unsuccessful negotiations, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Finance Minister Souleiman Seidi and António Monteiro, the secretary of state for the Treasury, were detained amid investigations into the alleged irregular withdrawal of $10 million (£8 million) of state funds. An anti-corruption inquiry questioned them to clarify payments to 11 companies. The leader of the country’s main opposition party alleged that the owners of the companies were close to the leaders of the country’s governing coalition. Mr. Seidi defended the payments as legal.
National Guard soldiers later invaded the police cells near Bandim Market with AK-47 weapons and bazookas and extricated the detained officials. Regional stabilization forces deployed by the regional West African bloc, Ecowas, were seen patrolling the streets on Friday morning. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced a series of coups and attempted coups.
