Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo in the aftermath of an alleged coup attempt, dismissed Prime Minister Geraldo Joao Martins and immediately appoints Rui Duarte Barros as his replacement.
A presidential order sent to AFP stated, “Geraldo Joao Martins is dismissed from his post as prime minister. The decree comes into force immediately.”
Another decree named Rui Duarte Barros as the new prime minister.
The move comes after violence erupted in the capital city of Bissau on November 30, involving clashes between members of the national guard and special forces of the presidential guard, resulting in two fatalities.
Embalo declared an “attempted coup” and dissolved parliament, signaling a state of crisis in the West African nation.
He also announced that fresh elections would be held and took over the portfolios of the interior and defense ministries.
While Embalo initially stated that Martins would remain in office, the subsequent dismissal underscores the rapidly evolving situation.
Both Martins and Barros are members of the PAIGC party, part of the opposition coalition that won June elections.
Rui Duarte Barros, the newly appointed prime minister, previously served as prime minister of a transitional government in the early 2000s after holding the position of finance minister.
Guinea-Bissau, with a population of two million, has a history of coups and coup attempts since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.
