10 Killed in Guinea-Bissau Army Clash
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LISBON — A recent shake-up in Guinea-Bissau’s military ranks sparked a shootout Sunday among rival factions, news reports said. The fighting killed 10 soldiers in the West African nation.
The gunfire at military headquarters in the capital, Bissau, lasted more than three hours until troops loyal to the government restored order, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.
The main opposition Bafata Movement said the controversial appointment of a new armed forces chief last week triggered the clash, calling it a “violent payback” inside the ruling party, Lusa said.
A recent parliamentary investigation into illegal arms deals to separatists in neighboring Senegal has also inflamed tensions among military personnel, Bafata said.
Guinea-Bissau is a former Portuguese colony.
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