Reports of Intense Gunfire Emerge in Guinea-Bissau's Capital City

Gunshots were heard in the capital of Guinea-Bissau on Friday morning following an incident involving National Guard soldiers attempting to release a detained minister and senior state official. The soldiers took the officials to barracks for protection before Special Forces intervened, leading to an exchange of gunfire. Peace was restored later on. The finance minister and the secretary of state for the treasury were detained as part of an investigation into alleged fraudulent withdrawals of $10 million from state funds. The officials were questioned by an anti-corruption inquiry and subsequently arrested to preserve the ongoing investigation. National Guard soldiers later stormed the police cells where the officials were being held and freed them. The whereabouts of the officials remain unknown. The country has a history of coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. Regional stabilisation forces from the West African bloc ECOWAS have been deployed to patrol the streets.