Hooded armed men ransacked Monday, February 7 in Bissau the premises of a private radio critical of power and manhandled its leaders, injuring at least one, said one of its executives.
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The perpetrators of this attack have not been identified.
It occurred in a volatile atmosphere, less than a week after what was presented by the authorities as an attempted coup against the power in place in this small West African country with a long history. troubled politics.
“
Armed men arrived in a 4x4 and a jeep.
They started shooting.
They forced me to my knees and hit me with the butt of the Kalashnikov.
A colleague was injured trying to escape
,” an official from Capital FM told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“
Our equipment was destroyed.
We stopped broadcasting
,” he added.
Capital FM, an opposition radio
Capital FM is a reputable station close to the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), the main opposition party to President Umaro Sissoco Embalo. She is known for opening her antenna to opponents of the head of state. Guinea-Bissau was the scene last week of what was described as an attempted coup d'etat attributed by the authorities to the military. The mystery remains about the authors of the latest coup in this country with chronic political instability, where the army plays a preeminent role. Eleven people were killed in the assault, according to the government.
The PAIGC, the dominant formation since Guinea-Bissau won its independence from Portugal in 1974, reported on Saturday that security forces had burst into its headquarters and prevented the meeting of delegates from all over the country.
Guinea-Bissau ranks 95th out of 180 countries in the 2021 edition of the World Press Freedom Index established by the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF).