The UN special representative for Central Africa and the president of the regional organization ECCAS travel this Saturday to Sao Tome, after an attempted coup d’état that occurred this Friday morning, a diplomatic source informed Lusa.
The special representative of the United Nations, Abdou Abarry, and the president of the commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), the Angolan Gilberto Veríssimo, will hear from the national authorities about the attack on the military barracks.
At least four people died as a result of the action, which the Prime Minister, Patrice Trovoada, identified as an “attempted coup.”
According to information released by the head of government, around 00:40 local time (same Lisbon time), four men, civilians, attacked the barracks in the capital of São Tomé, presumably with the complicity of the military. The attackers took the officer on duty hostage, who was seriously injured after the attacks, but is out of danger.
The attack was neutralized shortly after 06:00, after the intervention of the marine infantry.
The former president of the National Assembly Delfim Neves and Arlécio Costa, a former officer of the ‘Buffalo Battalion’ convicted in 2009 for an alleged coup attempt, were reportedly identified by the assailants as the perpetrators of the attack, having both been detained by the military, in their respective homes, at dawn, and taken to the barracks.
Arlécio Costa and three of the robbers died, a source linked to the process told Lusa early in the afternoon.
“It is not a robbery, it is not a robbery. It is an attack with weapons of war on the country’s Armed Forces and we must first solve this problem,” the prime minister said this morning.
The head of government said that the “coup attempt” was an “extremely serious” situation, but then assured that “the Armed Forces have the situation under control.”
Patrice Trovoada called for the “strong hand” of justice for those responsible for the attempted coup, after announcing the arrest of Delfim Neves and Arlécio Costa by the military.
“I hope that justice does its job, Sao Tome and Principe does not deserve all these problems. The people are sovereign, the people chose this team to guide the country’s destinies, ”she stressed.
Patrice Trovoada, leader of Acción Democrática Independiente (ADI), took office two weeks ago as prime minister, for the fourth time, after the victory by absolute majority in the legislative elections on September 25.
Delfim Neves presided over the Sao Tome parliament during the previous legislature (2018-2022) and ran for the legislative elections in September with the newly created Basta, having been one of the two elected to parliament by this movement. Currently his mandate is suspended, having been replaced in the National Assembly.
Source: TSF
