Feb. 1 (UPI) — Gunfire broke out Tuesday close to the presidential palace in Guinea-Bissau, prompting considerations of an tried coup within the West African country, the Financial Neighborhood of West African States mentioned.
The unrest used to be reported within the capital of Bissau, which is located at the western coast.
“ECOWAS condemns the coup strive and holds the army liable for the bodily integrity of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and individuals of his executive,” ECOWAS mentioned in a observation on Twitter.
“ECOWAS asks the army to go back to their barracks and take care of a republican posture.”
Embalo used to be elected president in 2020 and previous to that served as high minister for greater than a yr. He and political rival Domingos Simoes Pereira fought over who gained the Jan. 1, 2020, vote amid allegations of voter fraud.
The New York Instances reported Embalo used to be collaborating in a Cupboard assembly when the gunfire broke out.
Mamadou Jao, an educational, informed CNN the streets in Bissau had been in large part quiet and that many of us had been staying indoors amid the imaginable unrest. He mentioned energy were bring to an end inside of properties.
“Bissau is quiet however we do not know what is occurring close to the federal government palace … We’re ready to understand extra about what is occurring,” Jan mentioned. “Where is in darkness for approximately 3 or 4 hours. It’s not one thing that occurs in most cases.