Guinea-Bissau army officers claim ‘total control’ as gunshots rock capital

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Officers bid suspension of electoral process, borderline closures a time earlier statesmanlike ballot results expected.

A radical of subject officers successful Guinea-Bissau person claimed “total control” of the country, a time aft the apical candidates successful a tightly contested statesmanlike predetermination both declared victory.

The officers released a connection connected Wednesday declaring that they had ordered the contiguous suspension of the electoral process; the closure of each land, aerial and oversea borders, and an overnight curfew “until further notice”.

The determination came soon aft sustained gunfire was heard adjacent the predetermination committee headquarters, the statesmanlike palace and the interior ministry successful the capital, Bissau.

The results of Sunday’s presidential vote were expected to beryllium announced connected Thursday successful the West African nation. The ballot had pit incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo against his superior challenger Fernando Dias.

Reporting from neighbouring Senegal connected Wednesday, Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque said Embalo’s whereabouts were not instantly wide aft the subject officers’ statement.

“The statesmanlike palace is heavy guarded arsenic we speak, surrounded by the statesmanlike guard, and we person the subject deployed,” Haque said.

“What we cognize for definite is that the subject is decidedly successful complaint of the state today.”

Guinea-Bissau has experienced respective attempted coups since it gained independency from Portugal successful 1974.

Haque noted that the legitimacy of this week’s predetermination was called into question by civilian nine groups and different observers aft the main absorption party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), was barred from moving a statesmanlike candidate.

“There’s been a clampdown of absorption candidates,” helium said.