Guinea-Bissau's transitional gov't says Portugal behind air base attack

Guinea-Bissau's transitional government says it is holding former colonial power Portugal responsible for the attack launched the previous day on an air base in the West African country. In a communique published on Sunday night, the government said the attack on the air base of Bissalanca, 7 km away from the capital Bissau, was part of attempts to bring back deposed prime minister Carlos Gomes Junior "at the cost of human lives." An armed group attempted to seize the barracks of "para- commandos" on Sunday night, the communique said, linking the raid to both Portugal and the Portugal-led CPLP bloc. According to the government, there were six people killed and two others arrested on the side of assailants. One loyalist was injured in the fighting. Carlos Gomes was arrested in the April 12 military coup and allowed to go to Cote d'Ivoire in late April. The military had long-standing tensions with Carlos Gomes, who headed the then ruling PAIGC party and won 49 percent of the March 18 presidential vote, far ahead of other candidates. The coup was widely condemned and seen as a setback in Africa's democracy and constitutional rule. Guinea-Bissau's Parliament, 25 political parties and the military junta in May signed an agreement to end the political crisis and form a transition government.