The politician explained the circumstances in which he escaped from armed men who tried to detain him at the campaign headquarters, highlighting “the prompt intervention of the youth” who were at the headquarters
The candidate who considers himself the winner of last Sunday’s presidential elections in Guinea-Bissau, Fernando Dias da Costa, declared this Wednesday night that he had escaped an alleged arrest attempt by armed men, who allegedly took Simões Pereira.
Dias da Costa appeared, in a video posted on social media, speaking “in a safe place” in the Guinean capital after having escaped an alleged arrest attempt by armed men, following a meeting with international election observers at his campaign headquarters.
Several party and political sources announced that Fernando Dias da Costa had been detained by the military, together with Domingos Simões Pereira, and allegedly taken to the Ministry of the Interior, in Bissau.
The politician explained the circumstances in which he escaped from armed men who tried to detain him at the campaign headquarters, highlighting “the prompt intervention of the youth” who were at the headquarters.
“We left through the back doors of the building, they chased us in every way, and luckily we managed to escape them. I’m in a safe place”, said Fernando Dias da Costa, without specifying where he is.
Dias da Costa reaffirmed that he won Sunday’s presidential elections, questioned who is interested in a coup d’état at this time and denounced that it was the “military of the Presidency of the Republic” who tried to “kidnap” them.
He reported that Domingos Simões Pereira and lawyer Octavio Lopes were arrested and taken to the cells of the second police station and asked the Guinean people to demonstrate to demand their immediate unconditional release.
Speaking in Portuguese, the Guinean politician called on the international community to assume its responsibilities so that the National Elections Commission (CNE) can read the electoral results.
Fernando Dias da Costa addressed the African Union, Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), European Union (EU) and the United Nations.
Dias da Costa said that he had already drawn the attention of ECOWAS to the fact that opposition leaders were without security guards.
