Guinea-Bissau's military junta announced on Tuesday the release of six opposition politicians who had been detained following last month's coup, describing the move as a step toward restoring constitutional order.
The freed individuals are close allies of Domingos Simões Pereira, leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), the historic party that guided the nation to independence from Portugal in 1974.
Pereira himself remains in detention since the November 26 takeover.In a statement reviewed by AFP, the High Military Command the junta's ruling body called the releases a "sign of good faith and a compromise for the return to constitutional normality and respect for international rights."
The army seized power on November 26, arresting and ousting President Umaro Sissoco Embaló just days after a disputed presidential election on November 23.
Both Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias claimed victory, but official results were never released amid chaos, including reports of armed men seizing ballots and destroying election materials.
The military suspended the electoral process and declared a one-year transitional rule. Embaló was briefly detained before fleeing abroad, while Dias sought asylum in Nigeria's embassy in Bissau.
International pressure has mounted on the junta. A Senegalese delegation, led by the foreign minister, visited Bissau on Sunday, meeting detained opposition figures and calling for their release.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has threatened targeted sanctions against anyone blocking a return to civilian governance.
Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation long plagued by instability and known as a transit hub for cocaine, has endured four successful military coups and numerous attempts since independence in 1974. The latest events mark another chapter in its turbulent political history.
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