Guinea-Bissau witnessed overnight clashes in the capital, Bissau, as gunfire erupted during confrontations between members of the National Guard and presidential guard special forces. The army announced the detention of the leader of the security forces unit involved, asserting that the situation is now under control.
The clashes followed the release of two government members by National Guard soldiers who had been questioned by the police. The individuals were summoned by the judiciary and taken into custody for several hours of questioning related to a $10 million withdrawal from state coffers, as per military intelligence sources.
Guinea-Bissau, a small West African nation, has experienced political instability since 1974, marked by four coups and numerous attempted coups. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo recently appointed generals Tomas Djassi and Horta Inta to head presidential security and serve as chief of staff, respectively.
This unrest occurs amid a regional backdrop of increasing coup activities in West Africa, including recent incidents in Gabon, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Sierra Leone last week.