Authorities in Guinea-Bissau have, over the past 10 days, released between 50 and 70 people imprisoned after Vieira’s ouster, a humanitarian source told IRIN on Friday.
Among those freed is Manecas Santos, a businessman and close associate of Vieira and of the late Amilcar Cabral, architect of the country’s war of independence.
However Vieira’s former spokesman, Ciprino Cassama, and former Agriculture Minister Avito Jose da Silva are among the 250-270 people still in prison. The source told IRIN that Vieira’s defence minister, Samba Lamin Mane, was also among them and is now in hospital with cancer. He might be evacuated to Portugal for treatment, the source said.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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