2010 Guinea - Bissau military unrest Military unrest occurred in Guinea - Bissau on 1 April 2010 . Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior was placed under house arrest by Military of Guinea - Bissau soldiers , who also detained Army Chief of Staff Zamora Induta . Supporters of Gomes and his party , PAIGC , reacted to the move by demonstrating in the capital , Bissau ; Antonio Indjai , the Deputy Chief of Staff , then warned that he would have Gomes killed if the protests continued . Events of 1 April . In the morning of 1 April 2010 , Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior ' s office was besieged by soldiers . Gomes was detained by the soldiers and moved to a military camp , although he was taken to his home later in the day and kept there under guard . Zamora Induta , the Army Chief of Staff , was also detained and held at the camp . Admiral Bubo Na Tchuto , who had taken refuge at the United Nations compound in Bissau 95 days beforehand due to allegations of a coup plot , was picked up from the compound by soldiers and promptly emerged as one of their leaders . After Gomes was taken by the soldiers , hundreds of his supporters demonstrated near his office and then his home , protesting the soldiers ' actions . At a news conference , the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army , Antonio Ndjai , warned the demonstrators that he would have Gomes killed unless they stopped their protest . He also characterized Gomes as a " criminal " who should be put on trial . Na Tchuto , meanwhile , expressed contempt for the protesters , saying that they had failed to show any support for himself while he was stuck in the UN compound : " I spent 11 years fighting for Guinea - Bissau ' s independence . Gomes did not take part in that fight . If the population continues to go out into the streets , I will send the military to clean the streets . " The protesters subsequently dispersed , apparently heeding the warnings . Despite his initial , bellicose statements , Ndjai adopted a less confrontational tone later in the day , describing the events as " a purely military problem " and saying that they " do not concern the civil government " . He also stressed that " military institutions remain , and will remain , submissive to political power . " President Malam Bacai Sanha characterized the events in a similar fashion and said that he would seek " a friendly solution to this problem " . Subsequent events . The situation was less tense by 2 April , and the radio was no longer playing the martial music which had initially been interpreted as signifying a coup attempt . The government held a meeting and condemned the soldiers ' treatment of Gomes . Subsequently the soldiers took Gomes to meet with President Sanha ; after the meeting , Gomes declared that he would not resign . He appeared to downplay the situation , describing it as an " incident " and saying that " institutions will return to their normal functions . " A delegation headed by presidential adviser Mario Cabral visited Induta , who remained in detention at a barracks , on 3 April . According to Cabral , Induta was " being treated well and is fine " . Prime Minister Gomes left Guinea - Bissau in late April 2010 and went to Portugal , where he remained for several months ; his extended stay in Portugal was officially explained as being related to his health . He eventually returned to Bissau on 16 June . Upon his return , he vowed that he and his government would remain in office and that he would not resign ; he said that he could be removed only through a PAIGC extraordinary congress . While describing himself as a " factor for stability " , he said that his efforts to " end the political crisis " depended on " the goodwill of people who are trying at all costs to plunge the country into chaos " . Gomes met with Ndjai , who subsequently said that he and Gomes could cooperate and " everything has now been smoothed out . "