President says he is safe after Guinea-Bissau coup attemp

Bissau, Guinea-Bissau | Xinhua | Several automatic weapon fires were reported on Tuesday afternoon near the government palace in Bissau, capital of Guinea-Bissau.

Gunshots were reported near the Palace of the Government of Guinea-Bissau, where the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers was being held. The president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, and the Prime Minister, Nuno Gomes Nabiam, are inside the building, a source said on condition of anonymity.

The situation is completely under the control of loyalist forces. President Embalo and Prime Minister Nabiam are safe, according to the security source.

There are reports of unidentified dead inside the government palace.

Around 1 p.m. local time, the crackling of automatic weapons triggered panic among the population.

So far, there is no news from the government palace, and no one has come out of this place.

At the moment, there are constant movements of patrols of armed soldiers in military vehicles in the streets of the capital Bissau.

Since the news spread in the capital, in the city center, all the shops, restaurants and banks have lowered the curtains. Officials, pupils and students have gone home.

The situation remains confused in the capital Bissau where everyone wonders what is happening at the moment in the government palace.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), issued a statement on Tuesday evening, saying the regional bloc is following developments in Guinea-Bissau with great concern characterized by military fire around the Palace of the Government.

ECOWAS condemns this coup attempt and holds the military responsible for the physical integrity of Umaro Sissoco Embalo and the members of his government, it said.

ECOWAS calls on the military to return to their barracks and maintain a republican posture, it added.