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Guinea-Bissau Government Tracks Down General After Mutiny
by Allen Yero Embalo
BISSAU (AFP) - Guinea-Bissau's government on Friday tracked down General Ansumane Mane, who disappeared when his soldiers were defeated by loyalist troops after a day of clashes which sent the capital into panic.
Half of Bissau's population fled on Thursday as soldiers supporting Mane, a former military ruler, fought street battles with loyalist troops, before his troops left their stronghold outside the city without further combat.
Air force Chief of Staff General Melciades Gomes Fernandes said the fugitive general had been captured and that he was heading an operation to collect Mane, in a statement to Portuguese RDP-Africa radio.
Other military sources said Mane had driven to the parish of Quinhamel, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Bissau, and spent the night there with some of his men after leaving the Bissalanca airbase.
The bishop of Bissau, Jose Camnate told Portuguese Lusa news agency that he and a U.N. official had mediated in the handover of nine of Mane's supporters to the authorities. Camnate also claimed that Mane had not been captured.
Those with Mane include former state prosecutor Amine Saad, national radio reported.
Sources close to President Kumba Yala said negotiations were under way Friday between the authorities and the local priest in a bid to get Mane back to Bissau, if possible by the end of the day.
The authorities broadcast a call for soldiers who had supported Mane to give themselves up, promising they would not be punished.
Sporadic light arms fire was heard in Bissau before midnight, but it was not clear whether the army was hunting down Mane’s troops and looters or simply letting loose in the bars.
The tropical West African city, which saw up to 70,000 out of a population of 1.1 million flee while soldiers backing the influential Mane positioned themselves for battle with loyalist soldiers, was calm Friday morning.
Shops and markets reopened and many people reported for work.
Late Thursday, loyalist soldiers took control of Mane's headquarters at the airport with little sign of resistance.
One local diplomat, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "He was stuck, he knew who had power and he wanted to avoid a bloodbath."
There had been fears Mane was attempting a rerun of his ouster of former president Joao Bernardo Vieira last year, after 11 months of sporadic fighting with the army chief "supreme commander" of the junta.
On Monday, Mane proclaimed himself once again army head, bypassing Yala - a move applauded by opposition parties here.
But this time, Mane seems to have lacked the backing of the army and the popular support he had last year.
The diplomat said that most young soldiers here did not share their predecessors' awe for the ex-guerrilla fighter in the 1970s war for independence from Portugal.
Instead, Yala appears to have emerged strengthened from the crisis.
The president late Friday had still made no official statement.
Yala and Mane co-presided a transition government until elections in January, when Mane stepped down and his junta was - officially at least - dissolved.
Armed forces spokesman Major Zamora Induta said late Thursday that people who had poured out of the coastal city should come home now.
Thousands had fled the city, most to Salim, 15 kilometers (nine miles) to the north.
The army overnight told all soldiers to report to their bases and warned against vandalism. Witnesses said some looting had occurred since shooting was first heard Wednesday.
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