Guinea-Bissau’s capital was engulfed in heavy gunfire on Friday morning, hours after a group of National Guard soldiers intervened to liberate a detained minister and a senior state official.
The soldiers took the officials and sought shelter in barracks located south of the capital city. However, when negotiations failed, special forces intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Reports indicate that calm was restored later in the day. An army spokesperson cited by media confirmed that the leader of the soldiers involved in the rescue attempt is now in military custody, asserting that the “situation is completely under control.”
Finance Minister Souleiman Seidi and António Monteiro, the secretary of state for the treasury, were detained in connection with investigations into the alleged improper withdrawal of $10 million of state funds. They were questioned on Thursday by an anti-corruption inquiry regarding payments made to 11 companies.
During a parliamentary session earlier in the week, the leader of the main opposition party alleged close ties between the owners of these companies and the leaders of the country’s governing coalition. Minister Seidi defended the payments, claiming their legality.
Following the questioning, both Seidi and Monteiro were arrested and detained to prevent any compromise to the ongoing investigations, as reported by local media.
Later that evening, National Guard soldiers reportedly stormed the police cells near Bandim market, armed with AK-47 rifles and bazookas, and freed the detained officials, transporting them to an undisclosed location, according to the privately owned O Democrata news outlet.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo is presently out of the country, attending the UN’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai. Meanwhile, regional stabilization forces deployed by the West African bloc Ecowas were observed patrolling the streets on Friday morning, as reported by media.
Guinea-Bissau has a history of coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. Last year, the president claimed to have survived a coup attempt involving five hours of heavy gunfire, resulting in 11 deaths.
However, skepticism arose regarding the official narrative, with questions raised about the true instigators, the number of individuals involved, and the command structure behind the incident, particularly linked to drug trafficking in the country.