Yesterday, I reported the attack on President João Bernardo “Nino” Vieira’s residence in Guinea-Bissau. The situation is starting to be understood a little better.

fr.allafrica.com reports that during the attack machine gun fire was heard. Also, while the attack was happening, President Vieira rang President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal informing of the situation. President Wade informed the OAU and ECOWAS. He also ordered the rebel forces to return to barracks.

In the end, the mutiny, or coup, or attack ended without any major disruption. However, there may be a political twist. According to jeuneafrique.com, the presumed leader of the attack was Alexandre Tchama Yala. He is currently being sought for his alleged part in the plot. He is also the nephew of former president Kumba Yalá (now Mohamed Ialá Embaló). Kumba Yalá has been highly critical of the result of the previous Sunday’s election where his party, the PRS, failed to make a breakthrough. Previously, he, too, had been deposed as president in a coup.

Party politics in Guinea-Bissau has become increasingly divided on ethnic lines in recent years and this may be part of the background to the current political instability in the country. Also, the international drug trade is increasingly using Guinea-Bissau as a base and, again, this element is clearly complicating matters.