Guinea-Bissau president sacks newly-appointed Prime Minister

Prime Minister Geraldo Martins

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has sacked Prime Minister Geraldo Martins, just a week after reinstating him to the post.

Mr Martins was first appointed PM in August, but lost the position earlier this month when President Embaló dissolved the government following a foiled coup attempt on 1 December.

The president then reappointed Mr Martins as Prime Minister last week.

A presidential decree issued on Wednesday announced that Rui Duarte de Barros, who previously served as the West African nation’s transitional PM between 2012 to 2014, would replace Mr Martins.

Last month, there were clashes between two army factions in the capital Bissau while President Embaló was away at the UN’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai.

Mr Embaló promised “serious consequences” for the perpetrators of the unrest, which he termed a foiled coup – the second against his leadership in under two years.