Attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau; whereabouts of president unknown

Ecowas, the regional bloc promoting political and economic co-operation in West Africa, has condemned what it calls an "attempted coup" in Guinea-Bissau, and is urging the military to return to its barracks.

It follow reports of men in civilian clothing opening fire close to a government building hosting a meeting between the president and prime minister of Guinea-Bissau, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

"Ecowas is following with great concern the evolution of the situation in Guinea-Bissau... where military gunfire is taking place around the government palace," Reuters quotes the statement as saying.

"Ecowas condemns this attempted coup and holds the military responsible for the safety of President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and members of his government."

In recent days Ecowas suspended another of its members, Burkina Faso, where the military mounted a putsch.

A few days ago, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said a lot of the coups happening recently in Africa can be put down to bad leadership.

With regard to Rwanda, however, Mr Kagame said he does not see any blemish on his part for which a coup could be staged against him and his government by either the military or citizenry.

Mr Kagame said this in an answer to the following question: "Do you think a coup d’état is impossible in Rwanda?" while he spoke to the Africa Report on the next EU-AU summit, coups in Africa, security concerns in DRC and the thaw with Uganda and Israel in the AU as well as the presence of the Wagner group in Mali, access to vaccines among a raft of other issues.