At least six people were killed in a failed attempt to overthrow Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, state radio said on Wednesday, as residents of the capital cautiously returned to daily life.
The dead in Tuesday's assault included four assailants and two members of the presidential guard, it said. Embalo had announced on Tuesday night that the situation was under control after gunfire rang out for more than five hours near a government compound where he was holding a cabinet meeting.
"It wasn't just a coup. It was an attempt to kill the president, the prime minister and all the cabinet," he said on Tuesday night. It has been mired in political deadlock and infighting, but does not have the same security concerns as Mali and Burkina Faso, where a spiralling Islamist insurgency has killed thousands and eroded faith in civilian governments in recent years.
"The image of my country has once again been tarnished throughout the world," complained Edson Gomes, a mechanic.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Many' dead as Guinea-Bissau foils 'attack against democracy'Guineau-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo says many people have been killed or seriously wounded in 'attempted coup' in the perennially unstable West African nation
Read more »
Guinea Bissau president survives W. Africa's latest coup attemptCheering crowds welcomed Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo's election victory in 2020, but his opponents alleged fraud. When he was sworn in before the Supreme Court had ratified the vote, critics called it a coup. It's a term Guinea Bissau's politicians know well: The West African country of 1.6 million people has had nine coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.
Read more »
West African bloc ECOWAS says coup attempt underway in Guinea-BissauThe Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for peace in Guinea-Bissau, as gunfire was heard around the government palace in the capital Bissau on Tuesday, triggering concerns of a coup.
Read more »
Guinea-Bissau president: 'Attack on democracy' thwartedBISSAU, Guinea-Bissau (AP) — Assailants armed with machine guns and AK-47s attacked Guinea-Bissau's government palace for hours Tuesday while the president and prime minister were inside, but the coup attempt that ultimately failed, the president announced.
Read more »
Guinea-Bissau's president says coup attempt has failed, government is in controlGuinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embaló said an attempted military coup to overthrow him had failed on Tuesday, and called for calm across the country during a national address broadcast on Radio TV Bantaba.
Read more »
Heavy gunfire heard around Guinea-Bissau's government palaceBISSAU, Guinea-Bissau (AP) — Heavy gunfire erupted Tuesday near the Government Palace in Guinea-Bissau's capital, witnesses said, raising fears of a coup attempt in this West African country with a long history of military takeovers.
Read more »