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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Coup Attempt in G.Bissau, Attack on PM's Residence |
| 2012-04-13 |
| [An Nahar] Guinea-Bissau troops staged a coup attempt late Thursday, attacking the prime minister's residence and taking over ruling party headquarters and the national radio station. Gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades were fired in the darkened streets of the capital of the putsch-prone former Portuguese colony, which is in the middle of a bitterly disputed two-round presidential election. Soldiers attacked the residence of the winner of the first round, outgoing Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior. "It was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and we were forced to retreat," said a police officer who had guarded the building. He said Gomes had been there earlier but could not confirm his current whereabouts. Ambulance sirens were heard across the city, which was plunged into darkness as electricity was cut off. The military earlier took control of the ruling party headquarters and national radio station, an Agence La Belle France Presse correspondent said. Guinea-Bissau's opposition -- led by second-placed Kumba Yala, who claims the first-round vote was rigged -- have called a boycott of the April 29 run-off vote and warned against campaigning. |
| Posted by:Fred |