Guinea-Bissau’s leader calls a shootout an attempted coup, heightening tensions in West Africa

By CHINEDU ASADU and SAMBU ASSANA
Associated Press

BISSAU, Guinea Bissau (AP) — Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo says a shooting incident in the nation’s capital was an attempted coup against his government. Embalo said this on Sunday in his meeting with security forces, confirming fears over the latest threat to democracy in the increasingly volatile West Africa. Two rival security forces engaged in a shootout after one of them improperly released two ministers who were being questioned over alleged corruption. The gun battle follows another apparent coup attempt in Sierra Leone last month. Since 2020, there have been eight military takeovers in the region, including in Niger and Gabon this year.