4 Dec 2023
Guinea-Bissau president dissolves parliament after coup attempt

Guinea-Bissau president dissolves parliament after coup attempt

Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has dissolved the country's parliament after clashes between sections of security forces.
This is the second time Guinea-Bissau leader Embalo has dissolved the parliament in just over a year. Photo: AP

Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has dissolved the country's parliament, a government spokesperson told reporters on Monday, after what Embalo said was an attempted coup in the West African country last week.

Clashes between two army factions broke out in Bissau on Thursday night and continued on Friday after national guard soldiers freed an opposition minister who had been detained in a corruption investigation.

President Ebalo had described the violence as an attempted coup. Embalo, who was attending the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, said he had been unable to return immediately "due to the attempted coup d'etat.''

''I must tell you this act will have serious consequences", he added after arriving back in Bissau on Saturday.

Guinea-Bissau has experienced several coups since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974.

Embalo has taken a similar measure in May 2022 dissolving parliament after accusing deputies of corruption among other issues.

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Reuters

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