Gunshots heard near Guinea-Bissau presidential palace

Sustained gunshots were heard near the presidential palace in Bissau, capital city of Guinea-Bissau, on Tuesday.

Though it is not yet clear those behind the gunfire, soldiers are said to have surrounded the building where President Umaro Sissoco Embaló is reportedly attending a cabinet meeting.

Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has suffered a series of coups, military revolts and political assassinations.

The incident is feared to be a coup attempt — a resurging trend in West Africa in recent months.

The West African region experienced military takeovers in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso in August 2020, September 2021 and January 2022, respectively.

If successful, a coup in Guinea-Bissau will be the fifth in the West African region in the past 19 months.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, allayed fears of a possible military takeover in Nigeria, saying the country “has passed through that state for good”.