Guinea-Bissau's president 'assassinated'

[ludahai]

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BISSAU (AFP) – Guinea-Bissau soldiers gunned down veteran president Joao Bernardo Vieira as he fled his home Monday following turmoil in which the army chief was killed in a bomb explosion, military officials said.

The West African nation's army blamed Vieira, 69, for the death of their leader, General Tagme Na Waie, in the bomb attack on Sunday, a military spokesman, Captain Zamora Induta, told AFP.

Great. More problems from a failed narco-state. And now I am hearing reports that the AU wants to ensure a "legitimate succession." Yeah, right. Are you really going to get that in Bissau? This isn't exactly a succesful state and frankly, has more likelihood of becoming a West African Somalia than of having any legitimate succession.

 

[Hatuey]

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Great. More problems from a failed narco-state. And now I am hearing reports that the AU wants to ensure a "legitimate succession." Yeah, right. Are you really going to get that in Bissau? This isn't exactly a succesful state and frankly, has more likelihood of becoming a West African Somalia than of having any legitimate succession.

Actually calling Guinea-Bisseau is a pretty good model of what a lot of African countries need to do.

In Guinea-Bissau in 1989, the ruling African Independence Party of Guinea and Cape Verde(PAIGC) under the direction of President João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira began to outline a political liberalization program which the People's National Assembly approved in 1991. Reforms that paved the way for multi-party democracy included the repeal of articles of the constitution, which had enshrined the leading role of the PAIGC. Laws were ratified to allow the formation of other political parties, a free press, and independent trade unions with the right to strike.

Guinea-Bissau's first multi-party elections for president and parliament were held in 1994. Following the 1998-99 civil war, presidential and legislative elections were again held, bringing opposition leader Kumba Ialá and his Party for Social Renewal to power. Ialá was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2003, and Henrique Rosa was sworn in as President.

Their democracy may not be as steady as that of America but to compare them to the complete meltdown in Somalia is pretty weak.

 

[George VI]

Africa will continue to be in perpertual destitute if things like this continue to happen.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

-- has more likelihood of becoming a West African Somalia than of having any legitimate succession.

It's more like Nigeria without the oil. The religions are pretty much split the same way as Nigeria's (40% / 40% / 20% - animism being about 20%).

-- a pretty good model of what a lot of African countries need to do--

Fewer military coups would help..

BBC Country Profile

 

[Hatuey]

Fewer military coups would help..

BBC Country Profile

I only see the article talking about 2 of them. One of them bloodless. Compare that to Congo, the Philippines, Argentina or at the worst Haiti and Guineau-Bissau is pretty tame as far as coups go. Specially considering how quick order is restored as opposed to the chaos that usually ensures right after a coup.

 

[ludahai]

I only see the article talking about 2 of them. One of them bloodless. Compare that to Congo, the Philippines, Argentina or at the worst Haiti and Guineau-Bissau is pretty tame as far as coups go. Specially considering how quick order is restored as opposed to the chaos that usually ensures right after a coup.

I didn't say that it WAS Somalia, just that there was a danger that it could happen.

The risk lies in two areas.

1. It is well known that the military had no love for the president of the country, and that it was elements of the military responsible for his assassination.

2. The drug cartels have a strong position in the country and could bring the country into chaos unless the government quickly rallies around a legitimate leader to fight off the influence of the cartels.

 

[Hatuey]

I didn't say that it WAS Somalia, just that there was a danger that it could happen.

And I never said you said it was a coup. I said that in any way implying that this resembles or could turn into Somalia shows complete ignorance of Guinea Bisseau.

The risk lies in two areas.

1. It is well known that the military had no love for the president of the country, and that it was elements of the military responsible for his assassination.

Actually. 'The military' nothing. This was an attack by ROGUE soldiers loyal to an enemy of the president that was killed not too long before. Hours actually. Please read up on this subject. You're sounding like a complete ignoramus. This is retaliation from a few soldiers. NOTHING like Somalia.

Twin assassinations leave Guinea-Bissau in turmoil

The man who ruled this small African nation for nearly a quarter-century was assassinated Monday just hours after a bomb killed his longtime rival, the armed forces chief, leaving behind a precarious power vacuum as the country struggles to stem a booming cocaine trade.

Analysts fear the back-to-back assassinations could shake up drug cartels that use the country as a transit point for shipping cocaine to Europe, leading to new alliances.

What happened in Somalia

Somalia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

President Barre was ousted by a combined northern and southern clan based forces all of whom were backed and armed by Ethiopia. And following a meeting of the Somali National Movement and northern clans' elders, the northern former British portion of the country declared its independence as Somaliland in May 1991; although de facto independent and relatively stable compared to the tumultuous south, it has not been recognised by any foreign government.[23][24]

In January 1991, President Ali Mahdi Muhammad was selected by the manisfesto group as an interim president for the whole of Somalia until a conference between all stakeholders to be held in Djibouti in February of the same year to select a national leader. However, United Somali Congress military leader General Mohamed Farrah Aidid, the Somali National Movement leader Abdirahman Toor and the Somali Patriotic Movement leader Col Jess refused to recognize Mahdi as president. This caused a split between the SNM, USC and SPM and the armed groups Manifesto, Somali Democratic Movement (SDM) and Somali National Alliance (SNA) on the one hand and within the USC forces. This led efforts to remove Barre who still claimed to be the legitimate president of Somalia. He and his armed supporters remained in the south of the country until mid 1992, causing further escalation in violence, especially in the Gedo, Bay, Bakool, Lower Shabelle, Lower Juba, and Middle Juba regions. The armed conflict within the USC devastated the Mogadishu area.

How you compare retaliation for murder and major forces within a country combining to rule the country is beyond me. This is a vengeance killing. NOT a coup d'etat.

2. The drug cartels have a strong position in the country and could bring the country into chaos unless the government quickly rallies around a legitimate leader to fight off the influence of the cartels.

Yes. It is in their best interest to ferry drugs through a chaotic nation knowing very well that their shipments are more likely to be stolen. If anything the murder of Vieira will make it harder for drug traffickers. Specially if the next guy in line is tougher on drugs. It's pretty much common knowledge that drug trafficking became more prominent under Vieira's leadership.