President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau made headlines as he announced the dissolution of the nation’s parliament, a move unveiled by a government spokesperson speaking to journalists on Monday.
This decision follows what President Embalo termed an attempted coup in the small West African country just last week.
The capital city, Bissau, became a battleground as two factions within the army clashed on Thursday night, continuing their confrontation into Friday. The clash ignited subsequent to the release of an opposition minister, who had been detained in connection to a corruption investigation, by national guard soldiers.
Guinea-Bissau, since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, has a tumultuous history marked by coups and ongoing unrest.
President Embalo had previously dissolved the nation’s parliament in May 2022, citing reasons such as alleged corruption among deputies and various other issues.