Recent Coup Attempt Could Destabilize Guinea-Bissau
 Printer-friendly
|
 Email article |
Related subjects: Africa, Diplomacy & Politics, Evelyn Winston Pérez, The Vote Comments Off
Warning that a military crackdown in the wake of last week’s failed coup attempt could destabilize the West African country, the UN Peace-building Commission has called on teh government of Guinea-Bissau to guarantee civilian rule and the rule of law. The sitting president, João Bernardo “Nino” Vieira, initially came to power in a coup, was ousted during the 1998-99 civil war, and returned to power in the 2005 elections.
Rogue military factions attacked the residence of Pres. Vieira on Sunday, but Vieira took shelter in a protected area of the heavily fortified presidential palace, and escaped harm. Vieira reportedly placed a “panicked” phone call to Senegal’s president, Abdoulaye Wade, allegedly seeking assistance in ensuring the stability of his nation against the coup-leaders; Wade ordered Senegalese soldiers to the Bissauan border, and said they would remain there until the situation was stabilized.
The attack has been treated as a direct attempt at assassination and has been condemned by the African Union, the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, and the international community. The mutiny was staged just one week after Vieira’s party defeated the opposition in parliamentary elections. According to Nigeria’s Guardian newspaper group, during the elections “opposition leader and former President Kumba Yala accused Vieira of being the country’s top drug trafficker. The president did not comment on the accusation.”
[ad#cafsen-intext]
Yala took power after Vieira was ousted in 1999, and lost to Vieira in the 2005 elections. There is no clear evidence to suggest that Yala was behind the mutiny, but there are clear indications the government views the opposition leader with suspicion. UN Sec. Gen. Ban hinted at the likelihood of involvement of the opposition, via a spokesman, who said “It’s unacceptable that after legitimate elections they could attack the president and try to kill him.”
Guinea-Bissau’s interior minister, Cipriano Cassama, said the government had learned of the coup plot in advance and took “certain measures” to protect the life of Pres. Vieira and counter the mutiny. The attack reportedly failed after a 3-hour gunbattle that included “heavy artillery fire on Vieira’s home shortly after midnight”, again according to the Guardian (Nigeria).
The small nation has been struggling with the rising influence of drug-trafficking cartels and organized crime, and has struggled to meet the timetables for peace-building projects designed to stabilize civil society and speed development. One woman was quoted as having told the Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) in the run-up to the parliamentary elections: “We want water, we want electricity” and suggesting that the political conditions were undermining the possibility of having a “normal life”.
UNICEF estimates that no more than 20% of the population of Bissau, the capital city, have drinkable tap water. Cholera is a major problem in rural and urban areas during the rainy season, as most Bissauans must get their water from exposed, untreated sources. 119 of every 1,000 live births ends in the infant’s death, while children suffer chronically from preventable but often fatal diseases. In 2006, life expectancy stood at just 46 years.
| Printer-friendly
|
Email article |
CafeSentido Partner Sites: