President Kumba Yala of Guinea-Bissau has appointed Quirino Spencer as the new chief of staff of the navy with the rank of commodore, Portuguese radio reported on Friday.
Radiodifusao portugesa (RDP) said Spencer, who was hitherto deputy chief of staff, had replaced Lamine Sanha, who was imprisoned following an aborted attempt to seize control of the military that cost former strongman Ansumane Mane his life in November 2000.
Spencer had refrained from taking sides in the 11-month uprising by Mane's Military Junta that overthrew President Joao Bernardo Vieira in May 1999, according to RDP. The broadcaster also reported that Spencer was in Portugal during the November mutiny.
Sanha, on the other hand, was a former member of the Military Junta. He had been sacked by Yala, elected president early last year, but had refused to vacate his post.
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