Nairobi – African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the “attempted coup” in Guinea-Bissau, where sustained gunfire was heard near the seat of government in the capital.
“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, follows with deep concern the situation in Guinea Bissau, marked by the attempted coup d’etat against the Government of the country,” the AU said in a statement.
“He calls upon the military to return, without delay, to their barracks and to ensure the physical integrity of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and members of his Government and to immediately release those among them in detention.”
Heavily-armed men surrounded the Palace of Government, where Embalo and Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam were believed to have gone to attend a cabinet meeting.
ALSO READ | Coup plot foiled says Guinea Bissau army chief
The building is located on the edge of the capital Bissau, close to the airport.
People were seen fleeing the area, the local markets were closed and banks shut their doors, while military vehicles laden with troops drove through the streets.
Earlier, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) said it “condemns this attempted coup” and urged soldiers to “return to their barracks”.
The United Nations said Secretary General Antonio Guterres was also “deeply concerned” with news of the fighting.
The former Portuguese colony is an impoverished coastal state of around two million people lying south of Senegal.
It has seen four military putsches since gaining independence in 1974, most recently in 2012.
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Picture: Getty Images
Source: AFP
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