Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bissau (Agenzia Fides) - “The death of President Vieira is still an enigma, but two things can be said for sure: drug-trafficking played a role, although it may not be the only reason; the claim that the Head of State was killed by an improvised reaction, not planned by the soldiers who were loyal to General Tagme Na Wai cannot withstand in a careful analysis of the events,” said Fides sources from the local Church in Bissau, the capital of Guinea Bissau.
President Vieira was killed in the early morning hours of March 2, in an attack on his room carried out by a group of soldiers, just hours after the death of the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, General Tagme Na Waie, who was killed in a bombing (see Fides 2 and 3/3/2009)
“It is also hard to believe that the President had planned the murder of General Na Wei, without taking precautions for his own safety. However, he was in his home as if nothing had happened. Thus, we cannot exclude the hypothesis that both the murder of the President and that of the Chief of Staff were planned as part of one and the same strategy of eliminating 'bothersome' players,” Fides sources continued. “We should keep an eye on the drug-trafficking factor, but also on the regional context. We should keep in mind that after the death of President Conte of Guinea Conakry, Vieira lost an important supporter in the region.”
For Senegal, as well, the deaths of President Vieira and the Chief of Staff are serious and worrisome events. The two most influential men in Guinea Bissau, although they were rivals, were the most important speakers in the government in Dakar, especially in the issue of the Casamance, the Senegalese region that has been engaged for 20 years in a “low-key” war being led by a separatist movement (see Fides 15/1/2007).
“The violent and brutal deaths of two enemy generals is a severe blow to the Senegalese fighting plan, both on the front of the Casamance situation or that of the excessive power of the drug market,” says Senegalese newspaper “Le Quotidien.” “Nino Vieira and Tagme Na Wai have always been supportive of the Senegalese army, in fighting the rebels of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance. Where will the Senegalese government find this support now?” the newspaper asked.
According to the Senegalese press, the recent events in Guinea Bissau are the result of a process that has been taking place over months and that involves various countries in the region, all interested in drug-trafficking, which has now become an emergency situation in this part of Africa.
Fides reported on the personal conflict that existed between Vieira and General Na Wai (see Fides 3/3/2009). The personal rivalry between the two, however, enters into a wider context which should be examined in light of the events of recent months. Before being killed, Vieira escaped two assassination attempts carried out by soldiers. The first was in August 2008 and the second was in November 2008, when hooded soldiers laid siege to the Presidential Palace, clashing with Presidential guards and members of the army. The rebels took refuge in Gambia, the country that divides the area of Casamance with the rest of Senegal (except for a part in the north). These soldiers could have played a role in the recent events. According to the Senegalese newspaper “Walf Fadjri,” the death of the President and the General “is nothing more than the end of a long conflict between the presidential guard and the army, encouraged by a play of interests linked to the network of drug trafficking.” The trafficking involves Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, and various other countries of the region. The President of the African Commission, Jean Ping, has affirmed that Colombian drug traffickers have been involved in the recent events of Guinea Bissau. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 4/3/2009)
