Heavy gunfire has been heard in the capital of Guinea-Bissau near the seat of the government, with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo calling it a “failed attack against democracy”. Armed men surrounded the government palace on Tuesday, where President Embalo and Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam were believed to have gone to attend a cabinet meeting. The state broadcaster reported that the shooting has damaged the government palace, which is located close to the airport, and that “invaders” are holding government officials. Embalo said later on Tuesday that “many” members of the security forces had been killed in a “failed attack against democracy”. Meanwhile, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS condemned what it described as an ‘attempted coup’ in Guinea-Bissau, which has a history of political instability.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
