Coup attempt in Bissau

Reports in Guinea Bissau indicate that military personnel may have carried out an attempted coup d'etat in Bissau, the capital, on the morning of 1 April 2010. The situation remains fluid; some of the emerging reports are contradictory and the full picture is not yet clear. Reports indicate that military forces briefly detained Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior and arrested Armed Forces Chief Zamora Induta in what some sources have called a potential coup attempt. Security forces detained Gomes and Induta at their workplaces and transported both men to unspecified military outposts. During the incident, military music interrupted national radio broadcasts. It is not clear at this time if the detentions were sanctioned by someone in a position of authority or were carried out by dissident soldiers. Some sources claim that Gomes was subsequently released after hundreds of supporters gathered outside his office to protest any potential coup. President Malam Bacai Sanha has not made any official statements regarding the recent developments and is said to be meeting with the prime minister following his release. There have been no reports of disturbances so far in the capital or elsewhere in the country; however, several businesses and banks have reportedly closed in Bissau. Military presence in the capital has increased and security throughout the city has been tightened. Guinea Bissau is a coup-prone nation that has been facing serious stability concerns since the November 2008 assassination of then-President Vieira, carried out by military General Batista Tagme Na Wai, who was also linked to Bubo Na Tchuto. Malam Bacai Sanha won subsequent democratic elections; however, ongoing tensions between civilian and military authorities have continued to fuel concerns regarding the long-term potential for political and social instability in the country.