Abuja, Sept 14: Nigeria strongly condemned a military coup in Guinea-Bissau today and vowed to work with its West African allies to thwart the Putschists and restore elected government there. Nigeria is West Africa's most powerful country and the leading member of the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS), a 15-nation regional bloc which also includes Guinea-Bissau.

"Following consultations, the ECOWAS authority is determined to resist this unconstitutional change of government," the Nigerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released here. "It is needless to state that Nigeria is equally determined to contribute to all steps necessary to restore order and constitutionality to the republic of Guinea-Bissau," the statement said.

The ministry did not say what means Nigeria and ECOWAS would employ to defeat the coup.

Earlier this year Nigerian diplomatic pressure was partly responsible for persuading coup leaders in Sao Tome and Principe to back down, and Nigeria has sent troops to enforce a ceasefire in Liberia's civil war. Guinea-Bissau's Military Chief-of-Staff, General Verissimo Seabra Correia, seized control of the small Republic today and detained the civilian President Kumba Yala and Prime Minister Mario Pires.

The Putschists accused the administration of incompetence and said they would set up a transitional government in the former Portuguese colony.

Bureau Report