The President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, has decided to dissolve parliament following clashes between security forces on Thursday and Friday, which he considered to be a coup d'état.

The President of the Republic took the decision this Monday after a meeting of the Council of State.

Quoted by DW, Sissoco Embaló called it "a coup d'état" for the National Guard to remove Finance Minister Suleimane Seide and Treasury Secretary António Monteiro from the cells of the Judicial Police on Thursday night.

Following this act, armed clashes broke out between the National Guard and the Presidency battalion, which were resolved with the intervention of the Military Police and resulted in the arrest of the National Guard commander, Vitor Tchongo.

On Saturday, the head of state had already announced the creation of a commission of inquiry to determine responsibilities, on arrival at Bissau airport, after a week's absence from the country on official visits to Rome, East Timor and Dubai, to take part in the COP28 Climate Summit.

"This coup attempt will have heavy consequences," he said at the time.

"Theater is over," he insisted, stressing that "everyone involved in this attempt will pay dearly" and that "Guinea-Bissau can no longer live in theater."

Sissoco Embaló also said that "there is evidence", including wiretaps, that "this coup" is not new, that "it was prepared before November 16", the day of the official commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Guinea-Bissau's independence, organized by the Presidency of the Republic.

The head of state believes that the commander of the National Guard, Vítor Tchongo, who was arrested on Friday, acted "at someone's behest" when he went to the Judicial Police cells to remove the two government leaders and take them to the barracks.