A deepening rift between Guinea Bissau’s President Jose Mario Vaz and the country’s prime minister, Domingos Simões Pereira, culminated in the dissolution of the cabinet Wednesday night,, a presidential decree has announced .
Tensions, fed by overlapping duties in Guinea Bissau’s semi-presidential system, have grown between the president and Domingos Simoes Pereira since civilian rule was restored to the unstable West African nation last year following a 2012 coup.
Former colonial ruler Portugal warned earlier this week that the row risked sparking a serious political crisis that could endanger much needed development assistance.
Donors pledged more than 1 billion euros ($1.11 billion) in March to support the country after last June’s elections. Since 1980, Guinea Bissau has undergone nine coups or attempted coups.
The government plans to retire nearly half the army’s 5,000 soldiers, including former coup leaders, over the next five years as part of military reforms seeking to ensure long-term stability.
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