In August 1995, i left Gambia to visit Guinea Bissau for the first time, to meet my ancestors. This visit was totally opposed by my mom for 2 reasons. First one was i need to go with someone since i did not know the place or any of the people i was visiting. Second, of cause you all know; witchcraft. I ignored my mom. I gathered all the info i needed about places and family members and next day i was gone.
My first impression about Bissau came in the Senegalese territory when a national of Guinea Bissau said he was ready to fight me for a seat in the van we were in. Hey man, too early for that. Am still not in your country yet. Next, at the last point of entry into the capital Bissau. An officer at the check point imposed a heavy fine on me in very short sentences. Pay or i will send you back! First i refused, but when my driver was leaving, i angrily made the payment and continued on the journey. But if i thought this was the end of my bad night, i was wrong. Shortly after 10pm, i board an empty 14 passenger van like the one that plies Banjul-serrekunda. Now, we all know that passengers getting to the back seats have to go through by folding the seat the apprentice uses. Someone came in and sat on that seat. Then more passengers began coming and this knockle head said he was not getting up to allow other passengers access in. He created a big scene. the apprentice tried to convince him to let other people access in he refused. It took nearly 30 minutes for this man to excuse other passengers in. At this point, i had ran out of patience but there was no option available to me as this guy was even insulting me for demanding that he move by force.
Finally, the day i was leaving Bissau for Gambia, i came to the garage and found a very very old car seating in passengers. Myself and many passengers declined to board the car and to wait for the next. Then this guy with a pistol came straight to my face beat his chest with his fist and remark " I am the chef here; you either board this vehicle of none at all"
paPG
----- Original Message -----
From: "Malik Jeng" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, June 5, 2009 3:47:40 PM (GMT-0500) Auto-Detected
Subject: Re: Bissau minister assasinated over fears of reprisal for Vierra's death. Elections may be postponed.
Sorry state of affairs. Sounds like Basirou is of Gambian descent?
NM
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 14:18:21 -0400
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Bissau minister assasinated over fears of reprisal for Vierra's death. Elections may be postponed.
To: [log in to unmask]
Bissau army kills 'coup-plotters' | ||||
The security forces in Guinea-Bissau have shot dead at least four people, including two senior politicians they accused of plotting a coup.
Baciro Dabo, a minister and candidate in this month's presidential elections, was killed at his home.
The authorities say he resisted arrest but his allies said he was asleep with his wife when he was shot.
Former Defence Minister Helder Proenca and two of his guards were also killed in the unstable West African country.
Mr Proenca was accused of being the mastermind of the alleged coup. He was killed separately from Mr Dabo.
There are unconfirmed reports that former Prime Minister Faustino Fudut Imbali was also killed. His wife says he was taken away by the military, which accuses him of being involved in the alleged coup plot.
The 28 June election was called after President Joao Bernardo Vieira was killed by soldiers in March.
The BBC's Will Ross says that election may now be postponed.
He says the army looks set to continue to play a destabilising role in a country which has been plagued by coups since independence in 1975.
In recent years, Guinea-Bissau has also become a key transit point for trafficking cocaine from Latin America to Europe.
Prosecution fears?
A statement from the state intelligence services said several other politicians - all members of the ruling PAIGC party - were detained.
"This was about nipping a coup attempt in the bud. Among the authors of this coup some came quietly while others tried to resist, that is why they were killed," it said.
"We have material proof that this coup attempt was aimed at physically eliminating the head of the armed forces, overthrowing the interim head of state and dissolving the national assembly."
Journalist Jean Gomis told the BBC's Network Africa programme that Mr Dabo, the minister of territorial administration, was a close ally of former President Vieira.
He says that high-ranking members of the military may have feared that Mr Dabo could prosecute those responsible for killing the president if he won the elections.
Mr Dabo, 50, was a senior member of the PAIGC but was contesting the election as an independent.
He was one of 13 presidential candidates.
Mr Vieira was hacked to death with machetes on 2 March by soldiers who blamed him for a bomb which had killed the army chief of staff hours earlier.
No-one has been prosecuted over the killing. | ||||
Among the authors of this coup some came quietly while others tried to resist, that is why they were killed 
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