Double assassination

 

 

The indifference that met the assassination of President Joao Bernardo "Nino" Vieira of Guinea-Bissau in his own house — as well as the bomb attack that killed his key adversary, the Army Chief a day before – signifies just how far down this drug-infested nation has sunk.

Ever since winning a brutal struggle for freedom from Portugal in 1974, this country of 1.5 million has been sadly trailing behind more and more – cursed by coup d'état, aborted coups and war. Today, United Nations Human Development Index that analyses the standards of living of people in various countries, has ranked the country at 177. One of the globe’s poorest nations, the adult life expectancy of an average citizen here is just 45 years.

The assassinations of the President and the nation's military chief of staff threaten more volatility in the distressed West African nation. This week, the United States and Portugal – its erstwhile colonial master – joined the AU & EU in reproaching the killings and calling for a Constitutional course to be charted. President Vieira was assassinated last week, supposedly by rebellious troops said to be loyal to General Batista Tagme Na Wai, who himself had been blown up in a bomb attack a day before. The tit-for-tat murders are said to be the culmination of long-standing hostility between the late President and a few sections of Guinea-Bissau's armed forces.

Therefore, it was only heartening to hear a senior military leader, Naval Commander Jose Zamora Induta, say that the assault on the President was a one-off event, and it did not measure up to a coup d'état, and the military will respect democratic values, even as the nation's statesmen work through the emergency.

Talking to TSI, noted West Africa expert at the International Crisis Group, Richard Moncrieff, said, “My understanding of the situation is that there will be a Constitutional changeover. The issue is to what degree the armed forces will meddle. The President’s assassination substantiates the forces’ say in power. That is unacceptable and needs to be curbed.”

Another troubling point for the international community is the involvement of the nation in international drug trade. UN administrators now claim that Guinea-Bissau has become a principal shipment destination for Europe-bound cocaine. Last month, the US State department also cautioned that the "degeneration of Guinea-Bissau into a narco-state is a real possibility". The country’s financial system is miserable, driven mostly by cashew, fish and peanut exports, so even a minor influx of drug-money can have a serious impact. The UN guesstimates that the cocaine changing hands through this nation is worth more than $ 1 bn per year, roughly the size of its economy. Under the circumstances, volatility is the last thing the international community will want.