Barely 32 hours after the military coup that ousted President Kumba Yala of Guinea-Bissau, normalcy is gradually returning to the country with human and vehicle traffic now on the streets of major cities. Yesterday the new military leader, General Verissimo Correia Seabre, held talks with leaders of political parties and other groups.
"Lookee here, youse guys! I'm in charge here!"
"Hokay." |
Subsequently, soldiers headed back to their barracks while the international airport is expected to re-open soon.
| Once the airport's open, CNN and BBC will show up and we'll learn what George Bush, Tony Blair, and Dick Cheney did to cause this. No doubt the whole thing was engineered in the Halliburton board room... |
Several African countries including Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, as well as the United Nations and Portugal, have condemned the coup. But there is said to be relief among many ordinary people in Bissau that President Kumba Yala is gone. The deposed president was often criticised for his erratic leadership.
| "Every night, the same thing. Y'try to get to sleep, and there's the president, howling at the moon!" |
Seabre, the new military leader, said he will remain leader until elections are organised in the West African state. The military authorities said the meetings are part of efforts to establish a transitional, civilian-led government. The coup leaders said they are planning to set up a transitional government to include "all national political orientations".
| "Except for Mister President's, of course..." |
But in a telephone call with the president of neighbouring Senegal, the army chief of staff was urged to hand power back to the country's elected president. President Abdoulaye Wade said that the African Union would not recognise whatever government General Seabre planned to instal and asked him to "devolve power back to President Kumba Yala".
| "Sets a bad precedent, y'know. Not that we expect anything like that to happen here in Senegal, mind you..." |
A communique from the army said the deposed president would be transferred on Monday from Bissau's main army barracks to his private residence.
| "Ngongo! Lock him in his room and don't let him come out! And no teevee!" |
President Yalla dissolved the government last November, promising new elections but the polls have been postponed four times since. Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world and has been beset by food shortages and strikes. It has never really recovered from an army revolt and then a war in the late 1990s.
| But having an army coup and maybe a war now should fix it right up... |
The secretary general of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, said in June that the country was embarking on a downward course. The Organisation of West African States recently said it was worried, not least by the silencing of political opponents of the president.
| Brilliant. That's why they made Kofi secretary-general... |
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