On Sunday, Guinea Bissau's interim leader Cipriano Cassamá announced that he was resigning from the post to which he had been appointed the previous Friday. Lawmakers belonging to the majority African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) had elected Cassamá as president a day after the swearing-in of former-general Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who was the declared winner of December's presidential election. In a statement to the press, he justified this move citing the insecurity that enveloped him and his family since he was named leader, further adding, "I decided to take this decision to avoid confrontation between the forces on the other side and the forces that guard me, and also to avoid a … civil war." Some Background to the political situation in the country. The political situation in Guinea Bissau has been on a slow decline since December's polls. At the time, the national electoral commission announced Embalo as the winner wit...
