Heavy Gunfire Heard Near Guinea-Bissau Government House

Heavy gunfire was heard near the Guinea-Bissau government house on Tuesday.

It was reported by multiple sources that gunmen surrounded the Palace of Government, where President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam had gone for a cabinet meeting.

The Palace of Government is located on the edge of the capital close to the airport.

The development saw local markets and banks in the area closed, while military vehicles with troops patrol the streets.

Guinea-Bissau has experienced four military coups since gaining independence in 1974, with the latest happening in 2012.

Guinea-Bissau in 2014 vowed to return to constitutional government, but there has been little stability since then and the armed forces wield substantial clout.

The candidate of PAIGC, Domingos Simoes Pereira, had contested the result of the last election but Embalo declared himself president without waiting for the outcome of his petition to the Supreme Court.

The armed forces chief last year disclosed that military men planned to launch a coup while the president was on a working trip to Brazil.

Armed forces head General Biague Na Ntam said on October 14, that troops had been offering bribes to other soldiers “in order to subvert the established constitutional order”

His account was denied the following day by the government spokesman.

In addition to volatility, Guinea-Bissau also struggles with a reputation for corruption and drug smuggling.

Its porous coastline and cultural ties have made it an important stop on the Africa trafficking route. In 2019, nearly two tonnes of cocaine were seized.

Three countries in West Africa, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso have experienced military takeovers in less than 18 months.

The region’s mounting instability is due to discussed on Thursday at a summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).