On Thursday night and early Friday morning, gunfire erupted in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau's capital, as national guard soldiers clashed with members of the presidential guard special forces.
The army, on the other hand, claims to have detained the leader of the involved security forces unit, Colonel Victor Tchongo, and that the situation is under control.
The fights started when national guard troops released two government officials, Secretary of State for the Treasury Antonio Monteiro and Minister of Economy and Finance Souleiman Seidi, who had been questioned by police on Thursday.
Police allegedly questioned the two government officials regarding a $10 million withdrawal from state funds. Seidi was questioned by lawmakers regarding the withdrawal on Monday during a National Assembly session.
On Thursday night, Seidi and Monteiro were taken by national guard members to an undisclosed location, after which they sought safety in the barracks located in the southern Santa Luzia district.
Security personnel barricaded access to the city's southern neighborhoods, and locals reported escaping north.
Special forces intervened and engaged the national guard in gunfire after mediation efforts proved fruitless. In the end, the situation was brought under control.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has not made any comments about the situation while he is in Dubai for the UN Climate Conference.
After gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has had four coups and multiple attempted coups during its history.
In September, Embalo named two generals to lead the army and presidential security.
The event occurs in the midst of a surge in attempted and actual coups throughout West Africa, encompassing Gabon, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.
