Failed Coup Attempt In Guinea-Bissau

Yesterday at dawn, several soldiers in the Guinea-Bissau army attempted to gain control of a military base in the capital. At least six were killed in the two-hour gun battle that ensued and the alleged coup was squashed.

Now you know where it is! (hint: it's not Equatorial Guinea or plain old Guinea)

Guinea-Bissau is particularly famous for military coups. In its history, no elected leader has ever finished his term in office. Crazy, right? The most recent coup was in April, when the military junta did not like the leading candidate in the second round of presidential elections, Carlos Gomes Jr, as he had supposedly threatened to downsize the military. Where does the military get their big heads?

COCAINE.

Yup. It's not just for South America anymore. Guinea-Bissau has been such a wreck of a country the last couple of decades that it's basically a cocaine state, with trade going through G-B from South America on its way to Europe. It's a pretty lucrative trade, as you might imagine, and well worth defending by the army, police, etc.

Just a hop, skip, and a jump over to West Africa from Colombia

Oh, and did I mention who the G-B government has blamed for the coup? Well, opposition leader Gomes Jr. of course, but also former colonial power Portugal. And possibly some other former Portuguese colonies, like Angola. But no one seems to really know. Portugal has, predictably, called for peace in the region, but made no further statements. Isn't it always easiest to blame the colonizers though? Never gets old.

Random Kate Thoughts: Guinea-Bissau is the epitome of the stereotypical tropical west African country, in all the bad ways. Highly corrupt, led by a military junta, under-developed and of interest to the west only because of something that can never be used to develop the nation (cocaine), G-B is pretty impressive in its hopelessness. Also I wish for once the western media would use spell-check when it writes. "Guinnea-Bissau," yahoo news? Really?! (Use spell-check please)