Editing Politics of Guinea-Bissau (section)

===2010 military unrest===
{{main|2010 Guinea-Bissau military unrest}}
Prior to the [[Guinea-Bissau legislative election, 2008#Chronology|2008 election]], a decision to change the electoral date and extend the parliamentary mandate resulted in major controversy when Assembly deputies snubbed the president and chose to extend their mandate. After the Supreme Court annulled that law, President Vieira dissolved the Assembly, thus allowing the standing committee to continue working, and appointed a new government composed of loyalists.

[[Rear Admiral]] [[Bubo Na Tchuto]] tried to organize a coup on August 7, 2008, but the attempt was put down. Na Tchuto managed to escape the country. The attempted coup added to instability ahead of parliamentary elections. Gambia subsequently arrested Na Tchuto.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.zimbio.com/President+Joao+Bernardo+Vieira/articles/9/Rear+Admiral+Jose+Americo+Bubo+Na+Tchuto+alleged |title=Rear-Admiral Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchuto, alleged leader of the coup plot foiled in Guinea Bissau on 6th of August arrested - President Joao Bernardo Vieira - Zimbio |access-date=2010-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003232001/http://www.zimbio.com/President+Joao+Bernardo+Vieira/articles/9/Rear+Admiral+Jose+Americo+Bubo+Na+Tchuto+alleged |archive-date=2012-10-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He later returned to Guinea-Bissau disguised as a fisherman, and took refuge at a UN compound. Although the UN agreed to surrender him to the government, Na Tchuto continued to reside in the compound. As a result of his return, security in the country was tightened, contributing to uncertainty and instability.

On April 1, 2010, soldiers entered UN offices and arrested Na Tchuto. The same day, more soldiers entered Prime Minister [[Carlos Gomes Júnior]]'s residence and detained him on the premises. Simultaneously, forty military officers, including [[Zamora Induta]], head of [[Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau|Guinea-Bissau's armed forces]], were confined at an army base. Hundreds of the PM's supporters demanded his release. In response, the deputy army chief, [[Antonio Indjai]], said: "If the people continue to go out into the streets to show their support for Carlos Gomes Junior, then I will kill Carlos Gomes Junior ... or I will send someone to kill him."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2010/04/20104112510170361.html|title=Guinea-Bissau PM detained|website=Aljazeera.com|access-date=10 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/04/02/Guinear.Bissau.democracy/ | work=CNN | title=Leaders call on Guinea-Bissau to maintain democracy | date=2 April 2010}}</ref>

The following day, the prime minister was taken to meet with the president where the president said: "I will not resign because I was democratically elected. I consider what happened on Thursday as an incident. The situation is now stable. I can assure you that institutions will return to their normal functions." The [[UN secretary general]] and other international powers condemned the move, while government ministers issued a statement saying "Members of government expressed their support and their attachment to the prime minister, and firmly condemned the use of force as a means to resolve problems." Tensions seemingly calmed, with President Sanha saying the coup attempt was "a confusion between soldiers that reached the government", and the UN Secretary General spoke about the PM's "detention and subsequent release."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=131974&language=en |title=Al-ManarTV:: Guinea-Bissau's PM Says He Will Not Resign after Mutiny 03/04/2010 |access-date=2010-04-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408082023/http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=131974&language=en |archive-date=2010-04-08 }}</ref> Nevertheless, while members of the cabinet and the international community condemned the attempted coup and talked about the PM's release, reports still indicated that "renegade soldiers" had the prime minister "under guard."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/newsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=131884&language=en |title=Al-ManarTV:: Guinea-Bissau Soldiers Keep PM under Guard 02/04/2010 |access-date=2010-04-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408082013/http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=131884&language=en |archive-date=2010-04-08 }}</ref>