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afrol.com, 26 November - The former military strongman of Guinea-Bissau, General Ansumane Mane, which declared himself head of the armed forces and revoked promotions awarded by President Kumba Yala earlier this week, is loosing ground. Loyal Government troops have driven him out of his base and most of his followers have surrendered. Mane today is still on the run and not seeking refuge in Quinhamel, as the Bissau national radio previously earlier had announced. However, eight of the general's loyalist officers, who were also on the run with him, were found in Quinhamel, a small town west of the capital, Bissau. Col. Buota Nan Batcha, whom Mane had promoted to be his deputy following his self-proclamation recently as army chief-of-staff, was reported to be among the eight. Reports from Bissau today confirm that Mane is still at large. Government troops are said to be pursuing him, though. Meanwhile, the leaders of political parties that had earlier publicly pledged support for Mane and his followers are being rounded up in Bissau. The arrested include Francisco Benante, Secretary-General of the former ruling party PAIGC, Fernando Gomes, leader of the Socialist Alliance and Rambout Barcelos, leader of the Union for Change. Ansumane Mane was the head of the military junta controlling Guinea-Bissau for almost a year until he reluctantly handed power over to a civilian Government in February this year. He has not held any official position within the military hierarchy since then. On Monday, Mane proclaimed himself army chief-of-staff against the orders of Guinea-Bissau's President Kumba Yala. His moves were promptly condemned by Guinea-Bissau's government, which asked Mane on Tuesday to respect the constitution and its institutions. The UN Security Council said on Tuesday that it would hold Mane responsible if his action led to further unrest and chaos. It urged him to start dialogue with the government on the basis of the country's constitutional order. On Wednesday, also OAU Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim urged Mane "to show due respect for the constitution" of the country". Salim said the current political tension in the country dismayed the OAU, and warned "that this new development, which evokes memories of the violence and chaos of 1998 and 1999, could lead to a crisis that may undermine the process of consolidating peace and democracy in Guinea Bissau." Presidential elections in November 1999 and January 2000 ushered in a civilian government in Guinea-Bissau. In addition to naming himself head of the military, Mane also placed the Government appointed army chief-of-staff, Verissimo Correia Seabra, under house arrest, before declaring himself supreme chief of the armed forces and replacing Seabra with General Buota Nan Batcha. Clashes were reported on Thursday morning between Mane supporters and soldiers loyal to Seabra, who escaped from house arrest on the previous evening. During the fights, supporters of General Mane were driven out of his headquarters at the airbase in the capital. Thus, the general fled towards Quinhamel, some 30 kilometres outside Bissau. People from the outskirts of the town fled at the first shots, as occurred during the 1998-1999 civil war, in which about 300,000 people were displaced. The conflict being taken out of town did not stop the exodus, however. The population, already confronted with a difficult situation (with most people barely affording one meal per day), is likely to be confronted with famine if the crisis situation persists, PANA reports. Mane led the military junta when it overthrew president Joao Bernardo Vieira in May 1999. The 11-month military revolt led to a destructive civil war in this poverty struck, small West African nation, which ended in March 2000. The military only reluctantly let a civilian government take office after substantial international pressure. In practice, however, the former military junta and its head Mane has remained as a kind of parallel force. The UN has been monitoring the fragile peace between the civilian government and the military forces ever since. - There has been a longstanding malaise between the military and the government, a humanitarian source told IRIN. "The junta never accepted to stay in the barracks. This is an excuse to make a comeback." Over the past few months, nearly all decisions made by the president have been challenged by the military and usually the head of state has backed off, according to the source.
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