Guinea-Bissau coup

In Guinea-Bissau on April 12, two weeks before a presidential election, the government was taken over in a military coup. The military junta alleged that the government planned to reduce the size of the army.

After the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened sanctions and the use of military force if the “transitional government” did not free the deposed leaders and restore constitutional government, the junta sent the former prime minister and the frontrunner in the presidential election to Ivory Coast and promised elections in two years.

Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has not had any elected leader finish his term of office.