Guinea-Bissau president shot dead
President Vieira has ruled intermittently since 1980
BBC, March 2, 2009
Renegade soldiers have shot dead the president of the West African country of
Guinea-Bissau, officials say.
The killing of Joao Bernardo Vieira is thought to been a revenge attack, after
the army chief of staff died in an explosion a few hours earlier.
The army denies there is a coup, and the capital Bissau is said to be quiet.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the world's poorest states. It has a history of coups
and has become a major transit route for smuggling cocaine to Europe.
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