PRESIDENT OF GUINEA-BISSAU ASSASSINATED

President Joao Bernardo Vieira and his wife Isabella

The small West African country of Guinea-Bissau was plunged into disarray today after its democratically elected President was reported killed by soldiers.
President Joao Bernardo Vieira died during in clashes in Bissau, the capital, early this morning, during the disorder that followed a bomb attack in which the head of the army died, according to an army spokesman.
“President Vieira was killed by the army as he tried to flee his house which was being attacked by a group of soldiers close to the head of the chief of staff General Tagme Na Wai, early this morning,” Zamora Induta, the military spokesman, said.
Mr Induta added that the President was “one of the main people responsible for the death of Tagme". As yet there has been no independent confirmation of Mr Vieira's death, although residents of Bissau said that members of the presidential guard had told them that the president was dead.
The outbreak of violence follows weeks of murderous tension between the President's followers and generals who previously governed the country as a junta.
General Na Wai served in the junta that overthrew Mr Vieira in the 1990s, and since his re-election in 2005 had been an outspoken critic of the President.
Courtesy:TIME ONLINE.. more.., AFP..more..