Former military strongman surrenders

Former military strongman General Ansumane Mane surrendered on Friday to forces loyal to Guinea-Bissau’s government, according to radio reports and sources in Bissau. Portuguese radio reported the head of Guinea-Bissau’s air force, António Milcíades, as saying that Mane had been localised and was in the hands of government troops. This was also reported on national radio, humanitarian sources in Bissau told IRIN. The government of Guinea-Bissau announced that it intended to hand Mane over to the UN mission in Bissau and that it wanted him “repatriated” to The Gambia, where he was born 60 years ago. Mane, whose father was from The Gambia and his mother from Guinea-Bissau, fought in Guinea-Bissau’s liberation. He sparked a crisis on Monday when he revoked promotions made by President Kumba Yala, announced the dismissal of armed forces chief of staff Verissimo Correia Seabra, and proclaimed himself head of the armed forces. [See separate item titled ‘GUINEA-BISSAU: General Mane surrenders to loyalist forces’]